A Blessing in Disguise
by Ms. Belikov
Summary: ALL HUMAN! Rose Hathaway is a troubled teen sent to a private maximum security Military Academy. During her stay, she meets General Dimitri Belikov, who pushes and challenges Rose to her highest possible limits. Can she break through his tough exterior?
1. Chapter 1: Ignite the flame

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Breanna Nash. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.

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"Rosemarie! You're running late, get down stairs!" the devil screamed through the hallway. I had to grit my teeth from how loud she was, I wouldn't be surprised it my ears started shooting out blood, that's how damn annoying her piercing voice was.

"Yeah, yeah—got it Ma. You don't have to yell!" I exclaimed.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, young lady."

"Well don't yell at me and I won't yell at you." I said.

I heard a loud honk.

I peered out my bedroom window to see a jet black school bus, on the side, written in big bold white letters wrote: _St. Augustine's Military Academy,_ aka my home for the remainder of my senior year.

The male bus driver looked annoyed and pissed; he continued to push on the steering wheel repeatedly causing the same annoying honk over and over again. I could already tell I wasn't going to dislike this prick.

"Rosemarie!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Get that stick out of your ass!" I grabbed my over-sized navy blue bag from my bed and hastily put it on my shoulder. I gave my room one last wistful glance before turning around and running down the marble stairs.

"Hey ma!" I greeted my mother with a sarcastic grin. "Where's dad?"

"At work," she answered, flipping through the morning newspaper absentmindedly.

"Figures," I muttered.

The bus honked again.

"Go, go, go!" she made a shooing motion with her hands.

"No hug?" I asked feigning hurt. "Give me one…after all; I'm not going to see you again until Christmas."

Janine sighed exasperatedly and opened her arms up very reluctantly—almost like I carried some deadly disease and she couldn't stand the idea of touching me.

I gave her a half hearted side hug.

That's when I noticed the steaming black coffee cup sitting on a coaster.

The evil side of me realized this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

I smiled deviously through her smoothed down red hair and pushed the cup straight into her lap.

"Rose!" Janine shrieked, pulling of her white robe as fast she could. "This is going to cause second degree burns!"

"You'll live," I said. "Bye Ma, I'll see you in three months…don't miss me too much!"

"Oh, and one more thing, tell dad I said bye…You know what? Never mind. I don't think he'll even notice I'm gone!" I called out before slamming the door shut behind me.

I looked up into the clouded sky as I felt the first few raindrops fall onto the bare skin of my forearm. I held my purse over my head to keep the pouring rain from soaking my body.

I nearly slipped and fell when I stepped onto the metal steps of the big black bus.

"I usually don't wait for my students. But considering you're new…I'll let you off the hook. Just know, next time if you're not on my bus within thirty seconds, I will leave you here."

"Got it, Stanny!" I saluted the bus driver with a metal name tag that read: _Stan_.

"Do you know how to read?" he scowled at me. His thick brows furrowed into a hard expression. The worn set of lines chiseled across his forehead and the blackness of his eyes made him look angry—something told me this man always looked pissed.

"Yes, last time I checked." I smiled sweetly.

"Well then you need to get your eyes checked miss…" he trailed off.

"Hathaway,"

"Yes, Miss Hathaway, because my name clearly reads _Stan_, so next time you decide to speak with me, show some respect and call me by my correct name." he turned his attention back to the wheel and began driving on the wet roads—rudely ending our conversation.

"Sorry Stan, I'll keep that in mind next time." I patted his arm. "I have a feeling we're going to get along great."

I scoured through the sea of seats but found them all full with students.

Or so I thought.

Way in the back, with the last possible seat opening, was some kid with jet black hair. He appeared to be a loner and I was sort of hesitant to approach him at first, but it was the last seat—and there was no possible chance I was going to be sitting on the filthy ground.

I walked up to him, one hesitant step at a time, and eyed his ripped and torn backpack that was currently in my way.

"Hey buddy," I said. His head snapped up and I met his crystal-blue eyes. "Can you move your things? They're kind of in my way."

Without sparring me another glance, he simply pushed all of his belongs onto the ground, they landed with a loud thump.

I sat down on the uncomfortable, hardly padded seat.

"I'm Rose Hathaway," I stuck out my hand in what was supposed to be a friendly gesture. The kid next to me looked at my hand but made no effort to shake it.

"Okay," I coughed awkwardly. "Can I at least get a name?"

"Christian," he muttered.

"Nice," was my genius response.

The awkward tension around us enveloped me like a blanket, I felt like I was suffocating in it, and I found it difficult to breath.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Christian asked from beside me.

"What?" I asked dumbfounded. "Oh, no no—of course not, what would make you think that?" I laughed nervously.

"Because you won't stop fidgeting," he pointed to my squirming hands.

"Oh sorry," I laid my palms flat against my lap so they would stop twitching.

"Don't be sorry, you have nothing to apologize for."

"Sorry," I blurted automatically. Christian responded with a smirk.

"Oops," I slammed my palm against my lips. "Sometimes that filter between my brain and mouth stops working, and I say things without thinking."

"I can tell," he said, running his pale bony fingers through his messy black hair. "I tend to make people uneasy."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because I was accused of killing my entire family, and starting my parents house on fire while they were sleeping." Christian stated.

"What?" I choked out, unconsciously scooting a few inches away from him.

"No, I'm just kidding…my parents were the ones accused of murdering my sisters—they're currently serving three consecutive life sentences in some high security prison. I survived the slaying because I was staying at my aunts house at the time." Christian laughed at his own joke, somehow finding humor in the tale he just told me—I however, didn't think it was so funny.

"Are you serious?"

"I mean exactly what I say, Rose."

"Oh, okay," I nodded, feeling extremely uneasy. Does this mean I was sitting next to some psychopath?

"So what's your story?" he asked, surprisingly trying to make conversation. "What type of screwed up teenager are you? An emo cutter, slutty alcoholic, Pothead?...The list is endless."

"I'm none of those,"

"When then what are you?...I know you're not coming to this fucked up school for nothing."

"My mother hates me, my Dad doesn't want me anywhere near him—because I might interfere with his precious business, and my boyfriend was recently killed in a car accident."

I felt a sharp pain pierce my heart at the thought of Jessie.

"_Babe, give me your keys." I said sternly. Jessie simply eyed me with his trademark grin._

"_Since when have you been the responsible one?" he slurred, chocking up in a fit of laughter._

"_Since you're too fucked up to drive," I snatched the cigarette hanging out of his mouth, chucked it to the ground and stomped on it. _

_Jessie glared at me._

"_I'm fine baby, honestly…I only had three drinks. Besides, we're only driving two blocks."_

_I sighed. "What did you just expect I would let you crash at my place?"_

_He giggled and draped a lazy arm around my shoulder. "Of course sugar plum, you love me so much…how would you feel if I had to sleep in the uncomfortable cold, hard car?"_

"_Ewww, Jessie, get off me…you reek of alcohol!" I giggled when he planted a big sloppy kiss against my cheek_

"_It's beautiful isn't?" he sniffed his shirt. "Now are you going to let me drive or not?"_

"_Fine," I growled._

"_Now, that's my girl." He smiled breathtakingly before running over and hopping into the drivers' seat._

"_Are you going to walk home?" he asked sarcastically. I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest._

"_Well, get in then!" he shouted._

_Reluctantly, slowly, I opened the passenger and hopped in._

_Jessie didn't waste anytime in pulling from the curb and peeling out towards my house._

"_So babe, are your parents going to be home tonight?"_

"_Nope, I don't know where dad is." I shrugged. "But Mom is working late tonight. She has some business to take care of with her client Ms. Tarus" I spat with venom._

_My mother always put more time in with her job than she did with me. I tried to get close with her over the years, but time after time, she chose her job over me—Janine wouldn't make any effort to set aside time for her daughter. My father was just as bad, he'd been accused in participating in illegal business and was a notorious drug dealer._

_Eventually I gave up on trying to have a relationship with my mother—which proved to be allot easier—and now every time we spoke to each other it was brief. I was perfectly fine with that._

"_Perfect," Jessie flashed me a devious smile, holding up the little piece of plastic in his hand._

"_No Jessie, not this again…" I groaned placing a palm to my forward. _

"_What are you talking about?" he demanded. "This is the perfect time baby, your parents are gone, and we have the whole place to our selves…" Jessie trailed his hot fingers up my thigh, getting a little too close to dangerous territory. _

"_This is not the perfect time," I slapped his hand away. "It is the exact opposite! I don't want my first time to be with a drunken bastard."_

"_A drunken bastard?" he hiccuped and then laughed humorlessly. _

_I looked out the window and tried to ignore him.  
_

"_I've been waiting six months for you, six damn months!...Do you know how hard it is for me to give up sex for that long?"_

"_Why don't you go get it from some slut?" I retorted._

"_I could. Do you know how many girls have thrown themselves at me?...Time after time, I have shot them down because I'm waiting for you to be 'ready'…but I've come to realize your more work than it's worth." He growled._

"_Fuck you, Jessie! You're a real fucking prick, you know that?"_

_He slammed his foot down on the gas petal in anger and made a sharp right turn._

"_Slow down," I whispered. He didn't listen and continued to drive like a maniac, keeping his raging eyes set on the road._

"_I said, slow down!" I repeated a little louder._

"_Shut the fuck up," he clenched his jaw._

_I stared out the window worriedly._

"_Babe, please you're scaring me." I cried, placing my hand over his in a soothing gesture._

_It had the opposite effect._

_He looked more pissed off and ripped his hands away from mine._

"_That was a stop sign," I breathed. "You just blew that stop sign!"_

"_Oh, And you just noticed?"_

"_STOP!" I boomed._

_I heard honking and an ear piercing screech._

_It all happened in slow motion._

_Headlines blinded my vision as the diesel truck slammed into the drivers side of our car. _

_I was too scared to scream, or yell, or even feel anything…_

_It was like a dream, everything didn't feel real. It was all disorienting. _

_After the fourth flip, I just quit counting and closed my eyes, somehow hoping this was all just a nightmare and I'd bee waking up soon._

_I tried to picture everything good that had happened in my life.  
_

_If I was going to die, I was going to die in peace._

_I thought of my mother and I in my early years, a time when her and I were really close. I always loved our fishing trips and stops at the ice cream shop. My life was perfect back then and I only wished I could bring it back._

_I thought of my best friend Mia. The girl I'd been best friends with ever since kindergarten. The one who made me a stronger person and taught me to stand up for myself, she was the only reason I carried on and looked for an escape out of this hell hole called a life._

_And lastly, I thought of Jessie. The first guy I'd fell in love with. The one I was willing to lose my virginity to. The one I'd hoped to get married and have children with._

_Looking at him now, I could kiss those dreams goodbye. There was a huge gash above his right eyebrow, his left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle and he was completely covered in blood._

_I realized we were upside down in my car, our heads hanging down and hitting the top._

_My nose flooded with the smell of gasoline and my eyes burned from the smoke filling the car. I knew we needed to get out now, or else Jessie and I were going to be fried chicken._

_I tried opening the door but it was jammed shut, Jessie's wasn't any better either._

"_Hold on baby, hold on okay?...I'm going to get you out of here. Just please, Hold on." I said. Surprising myself at how calm I sounded; on the inside I was screaming and completely hysterical._

"_Don't close your eyes," I shook his head and he groaned in pain._

"_Please don't touch me," he whispered as a few tears slipped out of his eyes. "It hurts so bad Rose…just let me go to sleep."_

"_No Jessie," I cried out. "I need you here with me...stay with me. I promise we will get out of here. Hold on baby."_

_I slipped on my stoicism mask and drew in deep breaths. This was the only way to keep myself relaxed so I could be brave and not panic._

_I hastily pushed on the buckle of my seat belt, it released all of my weight and I went toppling to the ground with a loud thump. _

"_Mother fucker," I groaned ignoring the sharp pain in my shin bone, I was positive I'd broken it with that fall, or maybe it was when the car flipped—I was unsure._

_I started to feel dizzy and instantly knew it was because of the air I was breathing._

_The thick smoke was keeping my body from absorbing oxygen; it was only a matter of time before I hit the early stages of asphyxiation._

_I quickly ripped of my jacket and frantically searched for the bottled water I had placed on the cup holder before the crash, and luckily found it sitting by my feet._

_I doused the cloth in water and carefully wrapped it around Jessie's face, making sure to place the damp spot near his nose and mouth area._

"_This will make it easier for you to breath," I informed him. He grumbled in response and the sound broke my heart. _

_I already knew what was going to happen…but I refused to believe it. I had to keep going. Jessie couldn't die like this. He deserved more…so, so much more. _

_I tried relentlessly to kick the window out with my feet, even with tennis shoes on, there wasn't enough momentum behind my blows and the glass wouldn't budge. _

_I couldn't help the panic that rose in my chest as I noticed the fire was clearly getting closer to Jessie and me. This car could explode at any moment and that fact scared the hell out of me. _

_Instinctively, I searched for something hard to smash the window and discovered the perfect object._

_I ripped the head rest from the passenger seat, gripped it tightly in my fingers, and swung it full force like a bat towards the window._

_In an instant, I heard a loud clattering sound as the glass shattered to pieces._

_After kicking out a few jagged edges that would no doubt slice me deeply, I climbed out on my hands and knees into the street._

_The white and red diesel truck was turned on its side, there was shard remains of glass, and huge pieces of metal scattered everywhere—most likely coming from my vehicle. _

_I didn't waste any more time and limped over to the drivers seat. The vehicle was completely ignited in roaring flames and smoke was seeping from the windows._

_I had to get Jessie out now; this was a matter of life and death. _

"_I'm coming babe," I coughed, waving my hand in the air._

_I yanked on the door but it didn't move an inch. The entire left side of the car was completely smashed in. I couldn't help but feel a little panicked and hopeless._

_Was this the end for him?_

_A very big part of me knew there was no way humanly possible to get Jessie out before the car exploded and took both our lives. But I had to keep trying, right?_

_I couldn't just leave him there to die._

_I heard sirens blaring and lights flashing but all of my attention went focused on Jessie. The whole world blurred out. Nothing else mattered besides opening that door and dragging him out._

"_Rose, stop," he managed to say. By now, I'd had nasty three degree burns running all the way to my elbows, my arms were completely black and the stinging pain was excruciating. _

"_Rose," he said louder. I stared into his pain filled eyes. "You have to go now."_

"_No," I said firmly, yanking on the door handle once again. "I cannot leave you, I will not leave you."_

"_You're not," Jessie whispered. "I've accepted it…I know I'm going to die. And I'm okay with it."_

"_No you're not, don't talk like that." I shook my head hysterically._

"_Yes I am baby," he smiled sadly. "Don't let this torture come to you and take you away with me…please, leave now. I'll be fine…I just want to sleep."_

"_No!" I cried out. "It's not going to end like this; I promise…it's not over."_

"_Yes it is, and you need to realize that…go now. Go now before this fire takes you too. Go before it's too late."_

"_Please, No…God no," I screamed, punching the door with my fist._

"_Damn it Jessie! Don't you fucking leave me..."_

"_I already have my love; now go…let me sleep." Jessie shut his eyes peacefully._

_I let out an agonizing scream that would make anyones heart drop._

"_I'm so so sorry…" I whispered, placing a kiss to his forehead. "I love you…Forever."_

_And then I walked away._

"The usual," Christian shrugged like it was no big deal.

"I suppose…if you believe that is normal." I said.

I felt rather than heard my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. I deftly retrieved it and snapped open the screen.

It happened to be a short text from Mia, asking how I was doing and how my first day was going.

I was about to text her back when my phone was abruptly snatched out of my hands.

My insides boiled with anger at whoever decided it was okay to take it away from me without permission.

I snapped my head up and was met with a set of hard dark brown eyes.

"This is mine now," the man said, I heard a faint Russian accent.

"No I think it is mine," I reached for it but he held it out of my reach.

In any other circumstances, I would have thought this guy way hot. He was tall, really tall…say 6'6 or 6'7 with shoulder length brown hair that hung loose around his face.

But his hotness was irrelevant now, he'd crossed the line when he snatched my phone away from me, and now he was on my bad side—where he would remain.

"Welcome to St. Augustine's Military Academy," he gave a dry, mocking smile before grasping the small device in his hands and ripping it into two.

"If I were you, I wouldn't cross me again." he said monotonically.

I stared at him in shock with my mouth agape.

"Here's your phone back, Ms. Hathaway," the man handed me the two broken pieces of wires and metal, and simply walked away.

"Thanks," I muttered under my breath.

"Welcome to St. Augustine's," a deep raspy voice rang throughout the bus. My ears cringed. I looked up to discover that annoying voice belonged to Stan. Beside him was that tall Russian—his stood still as a statue with his arms crossed over his chest.

I couldn't help but notice his dark eyes flash over and focused on me for a split second. They quickly averted themselves and continued their scan of students sitting patiently in the bus.

"I'm going to introduce myself one time and one time only. My name is Stan Alto and I will be your bus driver for the remainder of the year. General Belikov, please take over." he gave a curt nod to the Russian before stepping back and mimicking the others in a stiff pose.

The man stepped forward wearing a black cotton t-shirt, army pants, and black combat boots—much like the rest of his colleagues.

"Hello everyone, my name is General Dimitri Belikov." His deep voice screamed authority and the sound was intimidating—this man meant business. "I am going to make this introduction short and brief because I have other important matters to attend to."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"I am first in command here at St. Augustine's, I am the one you will _all _report to. I assure you I didn't receive this position for my kindness and compassion. I take everything that I do as a series manner, I mean everything I say and don't take it lightly when a student decides not to follow by our rules." His dark eyes flickered over to me briefly.

"The most important school at this academy is the Honor Code: A cadet shall not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." Dimitri paused for emphasis. "This code will be drilled into your head from this day forward. You will never forget it. It will be the first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning—"

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Miss Hathaway?" he asked irritably.

"Dimitri, I think the term you are looking for is Brain wash." I said.

He stared at me for a moment—long enough to make me uncomfortable and writhe in my seat. Dimitri smiled a predatory smile, one that said it was a big mistake that I'd challenged him.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a black radio and held it up to his face.

"Celeste, General Belikov speaking."

A few seconds pause. All the students watched him curiously.

"Celeste here," a woman's voice buzzed over the line.

"What room will Miss Hathaway be staying in?" Dimitri asked.

"Room E4301." she answered a few moments later.

He flashed me one more intimidating smile before speaking again. "Please have her door removed immediately."

"WHAT!" I shrieked. "You cannot take my door away, that is my privacy!"

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Kiss your privacy goodbye,"

"Remove her bathroom door as well." He spoke into the radio.

I stared at him wide eyed. "You so did _not _just do that,"

"I did." He shoved the radio back into his pocket. "And unless you want your bed taken away as well, then I believe you should shut that big mouth of yours before it gets you into more trouble."

I shut my mouth.

"Very well," he gave a satisfied nod. "I suggest the rest of you do not act in such dishonorable ways as Miss Hathaway has shown here, unless you would like to receive punishments…much worse punishments. By the time you are finished with your senior year, you'll discover that I do not like to play games."

With one last hard glance at me, he turned on his heel and stepped out of the bus.

"Talk about a dramatic exit," I murmured to Christian. He snickered.

"I will be taking over for General Belikov for the rest of this orientation," a husky female voice spoke. I looked up to see a middle age woman with salt and pepper hair. Although she had a worn down face and tiresome eyes, she was still very beautiful. "I am Sergeant Alberta Petrov, I am also going to make this brief because I do not like to waste my time. So listen up, because I'm not going to repeat myself."

Alberta paused for a moment to make sure every student was ready for her to continue.

"Alright, I will start with the basic rules," she cleared her throat harshly.

"If you are either late to class or fail to keep your room up to standard, you will more than likely be disciplined. The level of strictness is extreme here at St. Augustine's. By signing on to be a cadet, you basically kiss your right to privacy goodbye—just as General Belikov has expressed. There are routine inspections and drug tests, and a failure to comply with the Academy's rules will not be tolerated."

"Are you all following along?" she asked sharply.

There was a chorus of 'Yeah, yes, and uh-huh's."

"That is unacceptable." A more feminine voice spoke up. A petite tall woman stepped forward; she had jet black hair tied into a tight bun, ice blue eyes. And a very noticeable purplish scar on her right cheek.

The woman looked oddly familiar.

"That's my aunt Tasha," Christian whispered beside me.

"That explains it," I said.

"You'll like her, I promise." He winked at me. I smiled.

"You will talk to your Hierarchies with respect," Tasha said. I didn't miss the small smile she flashed Christian. "Cadets shall refer to us as our respected title and/ or by _Sir_ and _Ma'am_."

After our debriefing, we were handed schedules and were immediately sent of to our rooms. Thankfully, Alberta had explained that it wasn't necessary for us to attend class for another week, this way we would have time to settle in.

Sure enough, Dimitri kept to his promise, and when I got to my room I discovered booth my doors were gone. That meant I had no shred of privacy. I'd even have to shower with nothing to cover me up—oh god.

That man was impossible, and I already knew we were going to be bumping heads—allot. I only hoped I could put up with him from the remainder of my year.

Yeah, that was wishful thinking.


	2. Chapter 2: Rude Awakening

**Authors note: **Thank you all for your amazing reviews, I really appreciate them!

I apologize if I get any information wrong in my story (Military wise), I have never been to a military academy, and therefore not all of my information is going to be correct. Keep in mind that this is fiction and all of these ideas come from my brain. So please, if you notice a mistake…just ignore it.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

-Breanna

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

I awoke to the most ear piercing sound.

"Is that a fucking trumpet?" I grumbled to myself.

Groggily, I looked over to the alarm clock. Blaring red letters stared back at me.

_6:15 AM._

"You have to be fucking kidding me."

The sound got louder and more annoying—considering I no longer had a door, it had to be much worse for me than the other students.

No way in hell I was getting up this early. I tried to drown out the sound by stuffing the pillow and blankets over my head.

"Miss Hathaway," a deep voice accented voice said.

_Oh, fuck me sideways._

I froze on the spot; maybe he would still think I was asleep and leave me alone…

"Miss Hathaway," the Devil repeated, only much firmer this time. "Don't try to fool me. I know you are awake, I can tell by your erratic breathing."

"Go away," I groaned, snuggling further into my bed.

Suddenly, I felt a cold breeze as the blankets were ripped from me.

"Hey!" I yelled.

Dimitri stood there smiling dryly. He had on the same uniform he wore yesterday—A black cotton t-shirt, olive green army pants, and leather combat boots.

And, sure enough, a gold trumpet in one hand.

"Miss Hathaway, you're fifteen minutes late. Your fellow cadets have already eaten breakfast, dressed in their appropriate uniforms, and are out on the field."

"I thought we didn't have to do anything for another week! Alberta said so herself!"

"Sergeant Alberta Petrov," he corrected sternly. "And she informed you that you didn't have to attend class. You still have physical tests all this week."

He grinned at my shocked expression.

"Now let's go. You should have been ready and out there twenty minutes ago."

"Alright," I groaned reluctantly. "Get out so I can get dressed first."

"You have thirty seconds." Dimitri stood in that familiar statued pose, with his arms crossed behind his back.

"What?" I shrieked.

"Now you have 20 seconds,"

"You have to be shitting me! How am I supposed to get dressed, brush my teeth, and eat breakfast in twenty damn seconds?"

He looked at his watch. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Times up. I'm done being patient."

Dimitri swiftly leaned forward and grasped me by the ankles.

"Let go, you bastard!" I screamed a kicked.

He yanked me towards him and off the bed. I landed on the ground with a loud thump that knocked the air out of me.

While I lay there gasping desperately for oxygen, he drug me to the non-existent door and towards the hallway.

I wasn't going out with a fight.

I clawed and finally struggled to grab onto my bed post.

I would have thought this situation was funny if had been happening to anyone besides my self.

I was on my stomach holding onto the bed post for dear life like a frightened child, while Dimitri was on his feet, grabbing my legs and pulling on them with all his might.

My arms and hands ached in protest, yet, I continued to fight and scream because the stubborn part of my brain told me so.

"I'm in my Pajamas, no way I'm going out there in shorts and a tank top!" I screamed.

Suddenly, the bedpost started to give. With a loud screeching noise—much like a piece of chalk being dragged down a chalk board—it began moving as Dimitri pulled the bed towards the door.

"Please, General Belikov!" I cried desperately. "I haven't even had breakfast yet! I'm starving!"

"That's why you should have eaten earlier when it was breakfast time, now you have to wait until lunch." He growled.

I dragged the bed all the way until it reached the door, and got jammed to where it couldn't move anymore. The odds weren't looking so good for me right now.

To my utter horror, he pried my greedy hands from the metal, picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I roared.

I punched and kicked and scratched, but Dimitri ignored me as if I wasn't there and continued to walk.

After a few moments of useless attacks, I gave up and lay slump against his shoulder.

"You're a real asshole? You know that?"

Yeah, it probably wasn't the best idea to talk to my hierarchies like that—especially the general, but I was getting desperate and verbal abuse was my best option.

Dimitri didn't say anything.

I expected him to have my bed removed, or my food taken away—something disastrous like that. But he didn't, he continued to walk and hum to a song I'd never heard before.

"So you're from Russia?" I asked. Surprisingly, I went from absolutely furious to trying to make conversation with this guy.

I was met my silence. And not that good kind of silence, that kind that makes it incredibly uncomfortable and hard to breathe.

Why was I trying to talk to him? He was an asshole. He took both my doors away. He was arrogant. I hated him. I was being hauled away on his shoulder!

Yet, a part of me was drawn to him…and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.

"What part are you from?" I asked.

"What makes you think I'm Russian?" Dimitri shattered the silence.

"Your accent," I shrugged, which was kind of a strange move to do in my current position.

"I have an accent?" he peered up at me and raised an eyebrow in amusement.

I nodded. "A pretty distinctive one,"

"Maybe to you," Dimitri slammed open a glass door. "But to me, I don't have one…It's you who have the accent."

I giggled. _I actually giggled._

I blushed and looked away embarrassed.

I discovered we were outside. The huge field was covered in lush green grass, trees, and…mud.

True to his word, my fellow cadets were out in the field wearing their appropriate uniforms. They were identical to our hierarchies and I suddenly felt extremely under dressed. I really should have gotten up earlier.

"Son of a bitch," I gasped, after Dimitri had dropped me onto the hard ground.

"Suck it up, and soldier on!"

"What the hell was that for?" I stood on my feet and brushed the grass off my knees.

"Miss Hathaway," his tone ice cold. "That type of behavior will not be tolerated, now, go line up with your fellow cadets. I will call your name when it's your turn."

With another hard glance cast my way, he turned on his heel and stomped away. He went up to the front and stood among Alberta, Tasha and—ugh—Stan.

I stood there frozen in shock.

Dimitri's sudden change in behavior was like a light switch being turned off. Merely seconds ago, he was talking to me like a normal person…he was almost being nice.

But once we stood outside, and around other people, his warm brown eyes went guarded and emotionless.

It reminded me of the way he treated me on the bus yesterday.

"Hello," a voice broke me out of my trance. I tilted my head to see a kid with fire red hair, freckles, and baby blue eyes.

"Hello," I gave a curt nod and shoved my hands into the pockets of my shorts.

"No!" he suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" I looked around cautiously.

"You must never, EVER, put your hands into your pockets." He said.

"Why?" I quickly ripped them out.

"Because it's a sign of disrespect to our hierarchies, they find it extremely unmannerly. It's against the rules and the Honor code."

"Oops," I shrugged. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind."

"Is there anything else you need?" I asked after he stared at my face long enough to make me squirm uncomfortably.

"My name is Mason Ashford," he released a breathtaking smile and shook my hand. "I've been here at St. Augustine's for three years now."

"I'm Rose."

"Rose what?" Mason asked. He stood in perfect poise formation beside me, his chin high and shoulders straight—almost as if he wasn't having a conversation with me at all.

"Hathaway."

I heard his sharp in take of breath. "You have to be kidding me."

"Does it sound like I'm joking?"

"Hathaway?...as in Janine Hathaway?"

My jerked to the right involuntary. "How do you know my mother?"

I was distantly aware of Dimitri's voice calling out last names.

_Brown, Clark, Davis, Evans, Harris…_

"She's a legend!" Mason exclaimed, excitement evident in his tone. "She was the class of 89' I believe..."

"Really?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, how do you not know all of this stuff?" He questioned. "Your mother was top rank in the air force…people talk about her all of the time here. I'm surprised Janine hasn't said anything about it to you."

"My mother and I were never very close." I shrugged.

Mason nodded solemnly. "She was top rank, I find that very inspiring…I wish I could get the chance to meet her one day."

"Trust me," I laughed sarcastically. "You're better off with that woman out of your life."

I patted my pockets.

"Shit," I muttered.

"What's wrong?" Mason asked curiously.

"Forgot my inhaler back in my room," I answered. "I left it on accident because I was in a hurry this morning."

I stared evilly at Dimitri who was jotting down something on his clipboard.

"Asshole." I hissed under my breath.

"You have asthma?" The blood drained from Mason's face.

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes," he scoffed. "How bad is your asthma?"

"Moderate to severe," I shrugged. "But as long as I have my inhaler, I should be alright."

"I don't know how you possibly enrolled into this school with asthma," Mason shook his head in disbelief. "99.9% of applications get denied because of that medical condition. I'm just surprised that's all."

"Well, what they don't know won't hurt them." I chuckled.

His eyes widened as big as saucers. "You mean you haven't told them?"

"Nope."

"That's serious Rose…you can get into a lot of trouble because of it."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Hathaway!" that deep accented voice barked.

I gave Mason a small friendly wave and jogged over to where Dimitri stood.

"Sir, whatcha' got for me?" I gave a salute.

"You're doing it wrong, it's the right hand, not the left."

I quickly corrected my mistake.

"Very well," he nodded approvingly and lead me over to an empty spot out on the field.

"I want you to start out by stretching your arms and legs out, twenty count each."

"Piece of cake."

I quickly did as he said without breaking a sweat.

"Alright get down on the ground."

I waggled my eyebrows. "I usually don't get to third base until the second date…but this is moving fast, and I sort of like it."

I lay down on the ground as he commanded.

"Miss Hathaway," Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "That is inappropriate behavior that will not be tolerated; I've added an extra mile to your run and 50 additional push ups."

"That's bullshit!" I protested. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Want to make it three extra miles and 100 additional push ups?"

I growled and shook my head. "No."

"Very well," he held up his watch. "55 crunches, you have two minutes...starting, NOW!"

I went as fast as I could, I thought I was doing well at first but once I got half way done the muscles in my stomach began aching.

"It burns!" I gasped breathless.

Dimitri ignored me.

"48, 49, 50…come on Rose, you have less than five seconds left. HURRY UP!"

One thing I'd learned about Dimitri in the past 24 hours I'd known him…he tended to yell _allot._

"Not good enough, Hathaway, try again." He shook his head.

"I was only one second off!...Come on, be cool and let it slide. It's not a big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal. Now, GO!"

Finally, after four more unsuccessful attempts, I finally got the technique correct and on time.

"My muscles feel like they are on fire!" I whined.

A small smirk twitched at his lips. "Well you're going to feel much worse tomorrow."

"Another thing to improve my day, thanks." I muttered.

"Alright now you're going to do a count of 25 leg lifts." Dimitri demonstrated the move gracefully, and I couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked doing it with the sweat glistening off his neck—

"Miss Hathaway?" He was now standing directly in front of me.

"Whoops, sorry…I was day dreaming there for a second."

"Alright," he eyed me like I'd grown a third eye. "Just try and stay with me this time, and no spacing out. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

So for the next hour, I did countless push ups, pull ups, jumping jacks, and…

"Four fucking miles, in less than 28 minutes? How is that humanely possible?" I complained.

"It is possible," he pointed out. "Do you want me to make it five?"

I lowered my head in defeat. "No."

"Well get going then, I started your time over two minutes ago."

"WHAT?" I shrieked and took off running as fast I could.

* * *

"I can't go any more, it's getting hard for me to breathe." By now I was crawling on my hands and knees on the track.

All the students had finished there fitness tests and were standing in perfect posture by one another, watching me.

"It's 11pm, Hathaway, you've held your fellow cadets from having their lunch. They are not able to leave until you have finished. So, I suggest you pick up the pace and finish this…unless you would like to complete another four miles? I've got all day."

"But I've already ran eleven miles!" I yelled.

"And it's about to be another four unless you pick up your pace!" Dimitri barked.

That did it. No way in hell I was running an additional four miles. I stood on my feet and pushed my screaming muscles to the max.

"One lap, Hathaway, and 2 minutes left. Pick it up!"

I felt my stamina dropping rapidly.

I was almost there…

"15 seconds!"

I sprinted and collapsed against the finish line.

"Job well done," Dimitri hovered above me.

"Thanks." I gave an exhausted smile.

"Ready to go eat?"

I nodded.

I screamed in agony as Dimitri grabbed my hand and yanked me onto my feet.

"Mother f—"

My words were cut off as he narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at me.

"Old habits die hard," I smiled sweetly. "Sorry, Sir."

"Go stand by your fellow cadets."

I nodded and limped painfully over to Mason.

His crooked smile made me laugh.

"Good job, Hathaway." He whispered.

"Thanks, Ashford." I couldn't help but feel a little smug.

Just then, Dimitri's voice boomed through the crowd. He didn't need a microphone to be heard, his deep voice was loud and authoritative enough that everyone perked up to listen to what he had to say.

"Respect is big matter here at St. Augustine's academy. Myself, and your hierarchies will teach you self control and self discipline. You may hate us at times, but I assure you that you will thank us in the future and be grateful to have enrolled here at the academy."

Dimitri paused to take a deep breath.

"I want to congratulate you all on a successful field test—though it did take some longer than others…"

His dark browns eyes flickered over to me for a moment.

"Don't get comfortable, because today's activities may have been easy—"

_Easy?_

"But things are about to get much harder, so be prepared for it. You are here by Dismissed."

After my field test, I went back to my room and had a much needed shower. I discovered my appropriate uniform folded neatly in my dresser, and although it wasn't the hottest outfit to wear, it was much better than the pajamas I'd been wearing.

I slipped on the white button-up blouse, navy blue skirt and jacket, matching hat, and black flats.

Sadly, the jacket didn't have any badges on it because I had just started at the academy.

_Soon, I will._ I thought.

I made sure to take my inhaler with me this time.

Mason came by my room a few moments later and kindly offered to show me around the Mess hall.

"Anything that involves a mess?...I'm in." I interlocked my arm with his but he quickly pulled away.

"What's wrong?" I felt somewhat rejected, and it wasn't a good feeling.

"Uh," he scratched the back of his neck nervously, and looked around the hallway cautiously. "Female and male cadets aren't really supposed to do stuff like that..."

"Like touching?" I asked confused.

He nodded.

"You have got to be kidding me...th-that's absurd. Awful. Cruel. Harsh...Evil."

"Evil?" he chuckled. "Isn't that a bit melodramatic?"

"Of course not...if anything, I am being too calm and passive about this issue."

"It's nothing really." he opened a door.

"Is this the cafeteria?" I asked.

"Mess hall," he corrected me. "Everyone calls it a mess hall..._Cafeteria_ is old school."

I rolled my eyes.

"So what are we having today, Ashford?"

He pointed towards a chalkboard with words scribbled hastily across it. "Pizza, salad, brownies...and your choice of a drink."

"Yum."

I stacked my tray full of everything I possibly could—two slices of Pizza, three brownies, and a can of ice cold coke.

Mason raised an eyebrow at this. "Seriously?"

"What?" I asked defensively.

"There is not one healthy thing on your tray...Hell, you even skipped the salad."

I shrugged. "There's vegetables in my meal."

"Where?...I honestly don't see them."

"It's because you're not looking hard enough, Mase. See the pizza?...there's a type of red sauce in there that contains tomatoes."

He rolled his eyes. We took our seats at an empty bench in the back of the room.

"Here," he placed a red apple into my palm. "This will help me sleep better at night knowing you have something healthy in your system."

I laughed.

And that's when the most genius idea popped into my head.

"Oh my god, Mase," I squealed with excitement. "Get ready to laugh...get ready to laugh."

I stood up on the table—effectively getting the attention of students sitting at near by tables.

I grasped the apple in my hand, and pulled out the stem like you would the pin of a grenade.

"GRENADE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and launched the apple across the room.

In perfect unison, every person in the cafeteria yelled. "Take cover!" And dove under their seats.

It was amazing really.

I didn't actually believe they'd take my joke as a serious threat.

A few moments later, Dimitri stomped up to me holding the red apple.

"What is the meaning of this?" he growled.

Damn, to say he looked pissed would be an understatement.

I suddenly didn't think my joke was so funny anymore.


	3. Chapter 3: Decisions and Expectations

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.

* * *

**

I stood there frozen like a deer caught in the headlights.

_Can you say busted? _

"Hey comrade," I laughed nervously. My laugh sounded so off.

"Lets go." He said.

I stepped off the table and automatically smoothed out my skirt like the proper lady would.

_Just play it cool. _I thought.

He just caught you red handed! There is nothing cool about this situation.

"What the fuck are you all looking at?" I screamed towards the onlookers.

So much for going out with some class. I could kiss that dream good bye.

The students hastily lowered their heads in shame and resumed picking at their trays.

Their heads were tilted slightly as they leaned their ears forward—undoubtedly eavesdropping.

What normal person wouldn't? This was juicy.

Not to mention I was the star of the show.

I usually preferred to be the center of attention—especially in bad situations—but having everyone in the entire cafeteria stare at me with the same disappointed expression made me feel small and powerless.

I wanted to be a coward and go crawl in a hole somewhere so I could escape reality.

"Miss Hathaway," Dimitri barked. "Watch that mouth of yours."

"How is that possible? It's on my face." I couldn't help the small giggle that escaped my lips.

"Would you be able to see your face if you had a mirror?" he regarded me with utter seriousness.

_Pfft_. _What a stupid question, of course I could._

"Yes." I scoffed. "How could I possibly miss this pain-staking beautiful face? Although, I don't believe the mirror does me justice, I feel that I am much prettier in real life."

Dimitri cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "And how come you feel that you are much _prettier_ in real life?"

One thing I disliked about Dimitri, he was so intimidating and could make anyone feel what they said was stupid and pointless.

He sure knew how to make me feel belittled.

There was no way in hell I was breaking; I had to show him what Rose Hathaway was made of.

Though I had a feeling he already knew.

"Because many people have told me—more specifically, men."

Dimitri tilted his head to the side like a curious puppy. "Men?"

"Yes." I nodded confidently. I was used to lying through my teeth.

"And what would you know about _men_?" He was humiliating me in front of all the other students, I realized.

"Probably about as much as you do, if you know what I mean." I winked.

I heard the slight gasps come from nearby students.

_Got you_, I thought.

"Oh, come on, that was good and you have to admit it." I laughed.

"Slap it high, Mase, slap it high!" I held my palm up in the air. Surprisingly, Mason didn't even spare me a glance; he kept his face blank and stared at his food as if I wasn't there.

"Anyone else?" I ran over to multiple tables, holding my hand up proudly. Disappointingly, no one had the guts to give me a half five.

"What are you all brain washed?" I screeched. "Have some fun! Take advantage of your youth!...you only live once, enjoy it."

I was channeling my inner Confucius; I couldn't believe I was actually resorting to moral lessons.

What was this Military Academy doing to me?

I glared at Dimitri.

Reaching into the pockets of his army green camouflage pants, those long graceful fingers of his pulled out that damn black radio.

I hissed under my breath. My enemy was back to haunt me.

"Don't you dare." I narrowed my eyes into tiny slits.

Smiling that dry, mocking smile of his that I'd learn to become familiar with, he pressed a button.

"Celeste? General Belikov speaking. _Over_."

"Celeste here. _Over_." The line buzzed.

"Do you really have to say _'over'_ every time you talk? It gets under my skin." I pointed out.

"As you do mine." He replied dryly.

"You love it." I smiled sweetly.

"Want to see something I love?"

I gulped.

"Misbehaved students here at the academy who act in such distasteful ways getting rightfully punished. That's what I love."

Dimitri pushed the button again. "Have E4301's bathroom mirror removed immediately. _Over._"

I gasped. "That's what gets you off on? You're one sick son of a b—"

"Scheduled for removal. Confirmed, Sir. _Over._"

"You make me sick, Belikov." I muttered.

"Thank you, Celeste. _Over._"

"First my doors, and now my mirror? That's pure evil. You're pure evil." I pointed with my finger to add dramatic emphasis.

"What's next my bath tub? My sink?...Hell, why don't you take my toilet while you're at it! Would that make you happy?"

"Actually," he pretended to think about it for a moment. "Yes it would make me happy, very much so."

Dimitri searched though his pocket. I saw that black antenna raise its ugly head.

"NO!" I screamed in horror.

"Please, oh god no, not the radio." I pleaded. "I'll do anything…just please, not the radio…"

"Very well," Dimitri looked smug with himself. "Why don't you tell me why this apple was thrown across the mess hall with the threat of it being an actual Grenade? You sent all of my students into a panic."

I spun around to face Mason.

"Mason!" I scolded. "How dare you play such a horrible sick joke on these people? You've nearly made every student in this cafeteria shit them selves! Now they'll probably have to go back to their dorms and change their clothes."

Mason gave me an _'are you serious?'_ look before glancing at Dimitri nervously and hastily looking away with an uncomfortable cough.

"Please tell me these uniforms are machine washable. Oh Lord. If not, send your dry cleaning bills to Mr. and Mrs. Ashford."

I looked around the room once before continuing.

"Because they have to be dry cleaned, right? There's no possible way these beautiful uniforms can be machine washable! What is this?" I plucked at my jacket. "Polyester? Velvet?—"

"Hathaway!" Dimitri's deep voice broke my ramble.

"Let's go," he walked over and grabbed me by the bicep firmly.

"Ouch! Let up, will ya?" I tugged on my arm but his iron grip tightened until it bit into my skin painfully as he hauled me out of the cafeteria.

I gave the students the finger with my free hand. "You can all SUCK IT!"

"Was that really necessary?" Dimitri sighed exasperated.

"Yeah," I shrugged lazily. "I like to go out with a bang."

He sighed again and closed the Mess hall doors behind us.

"So comrade, where are we headed to?...Got a hot date planned for the two of us?" I waggled my eyebrows.

"To the wardens office."

"The wardens' office?" I purred seductively. "I'm liking this more and more by the second. Is he hot?"

"She," Dimitri corrected. "The warden is a woman."

"What a bummer."

A few moments later, we arrived at the main office building.

"Hey would you look at those!" I pointed towards the carefully tended garden in the front.

Dimitri gave it a glance.

"I always thought those flowers were beautiful, Birds of paradise…strange name for a flower huh?"

_No response._

"Want to know why they're called birds of paradise?" I asked.

"No."

"They're called birds of paradise because of their resemblance to the actual birds in the paradise. Fascinating huh?"

Dimitri nodded. But honestly, I don't think he was listening to a word I was saying.

"Want to know what my favorite flower is?" I asked once he opened the door.

"No." he grumbled.

"Roses' duh!" I chuckled. "How could anyone not guess that? My name is Rose for heavens sake!"

Dimitri gritted his teeth.

"Am I irritating you?"

"Just you opening your mouth irritates me. So yes, you are irritating me highly."

I shrugged. "Whatever."

The pretty receptionist looked up when we came in and once she saw Dimitri, she was practically drooling all over her paperwork.

I glanced over at him.

His deep shoulder brown hair was tied at the nape of his neck. It was damp so I assumed he'd just stepped out of the shower.

Lucky bastard…at least he has a bathroom door.

The darkness of his eyes was powerful but sultry at the same time. His skin smelled of a minty crisp aroma.

"Do you wear aftershave?" I asked, unknowingly interrupting the conversation he was having with the receptionist.

"What?" He asked. The way he said it made me feel like an idiot for asking such a stupid question.

"Do you wear after shave?" I repeated slowly. "I'm assuming you do because your face appears clean shaven, and the scent doesn't exactly smell like cologne. It's more crispy and clean—"

"Yes." He whispered tightly. "I do wear aftershave. Now, can I please finish talking to Ms. Rinaldi here?"

"Fine," I crossed my arms over my chest. "You can talk to your precious receptionist. I was just asking a question; now need to be such a bitch over it."

Despite having just called the General a bitch, I didn't get in trouble. Dimitri simple ignored me and continued talking to the girl at the desk as if I wasn't there.

_Was he running out of ways to punish me?_

No way. That was impossible. Dimitri could think of a billion ways to punish me.

"General Belikov, the warden will call you out momentarily. Please, go have a seat…or you can stay here, I don't mind." The girl with blonde ringlets batted here lashes at him.

I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"Thank you Mia, but I'd rather have a seat." He gave a heart stopping smile before taking a seat in one of those boring chairs you see in a hospital.

I trotted right up to Dimitri and plopped down on the seat beside him.

"So how long have you been a General?" I asked.

"Four years." He answered monotonically.

"Four years? Wow. That's a long time. I don't think I'd ever find a job that could hold my attention for that long." I stated.

"Probably not," He muttered.

I glared at him.

"I am agreeing with you." Dimitri said.

"So four years?...You must be older than you look. What are you…31? 32?" I tried to make my voice sound casual, but I desperately wanted to know his age.

"24."

"Oh, nice." Was my genius response.

Dimitri sure did know how to make a situation awkward. I would have had a better conversation talking to a wall. A wall would probably say allot more than he ever did.

But his silence and strong demeanor was sort of hot. Not that I'd ever tell the bastard that. Hell, I hated admitting it to myself…

"General Belikov." I looked up to see a bony middle aged woman standing in a doorway. She had gray hair and a long nose with gold glasses perched on the bridge.

Something about her reminded me of a vulture.

I had a feeling the two of us weren't going to be best friends. What a shame.

"Come in please, I'm ready." The woman said blandly.

"Go get em' tiger." I nudged Dimitri's shoulder with my elbow.

"Let's go, Rose." He said.

'What if I don't want to go?"

He flashed me his black radio.

"Okay okay, fine. I'm coming." I stood up from my chair. "Just know that I am not happy about this."

"Fine by me," Dimitri shrugged indifferently.

I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but I decided to kick the wall, hard.

"Son of a bitchhhhh!" I yelped, grabbing my stubbed toe.

"Seriously?" Dimitri cocked an eyebrow. "What would make you want to kick a wall?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." I began limping towards the door that led to the vultures' office.

"Going out with a bang?" His voice held a tinge of amusement.

"Fine…go ahead mock me!" I said dramatically. "Just know that when you're lying in your comfy bed tonight, watching western movies on your flat screen, and enjoying the privacy of having doors. I'll be in my freezing dorm, with no T.V. and no doors, nursing my bruised and battered foot!"

"Thanks that will definitely help me sleep tonight." The ghost of a smile flickered across his face.

Dimitri's face suddenly became more serious. "How do you know I like western movies?"

I shrugged like it was no big deal. "I saw you patrolling the grounds last night with a duster on," I chuckled. "It sort of makes you look like a cowboy so I assumed you liked the old west."

Dimitri looked puzzled and taken aback for a moment. He smiled. A genuine smile that showed his perfect white teeth and made butterflies flutter in my stomach. "I do like the old west. I cannot believe you figured that out, not many people know about my fascination with the old west."

I smiled.

He quickly regained his composure. Dimitri was back in General mode. "Warden Kirova is waiting for us, come on."

"Fine, hold on one second. I have a feeling I'm going to need this." I rummaged through my uniform jacket and pulled out my inhaler.

I pressed the container to my lips and slowly inhaled two wonderful breaths.

My lungs felt instantly relieved.

"What is that?"

Dimitri's eyes were wide with fury and anger.

"Oh shit." I mumbled, unconsciously shoving the inhaler back into my jacket.

I had completely forgotten about what Mason had told me earlier. Nearly all of St. Augustine's applications were turned down if a student had asthma. Rigorous training made it a safety issue for students when they had asthma, so they didn't like to run risks for any accidents. It had been so natural for me to grab my inhaler without a conscious thought.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid me!

It was times like these that I actually wished I'd think before acting.

Now it came back to bite me in the ass.

"Is this a bad time to mention I have asthma?" I closed my eyes waiting for his answer.

I giggled when I felt his warm hands slip into my jacket. "If you wanted to feel me up, General Belikov, you could have just asked."

"Shut up." He hissed under his breath.

"Oh, I like a feisty one," I giggled louder. "Why don't you spank me with a paddle and call me dirty words in Russian?"

I was suddenly slammed against the wall. I opened my eyes to see Dimitri standing there, his dark eyes a roaring fire. "This is no time for jokes, Hathaway!"

"Oh, papi I like it Rough!" I winked sarcastically. "Press me harder against the wall! HARDER!"

"Hathaway!" he growled menacingly. "This is no time for jokes. Have you informed anyone of your medical condition?"

"No."

"No?" he asked incredulously.

"No."

"How is that possible?" Dimitri asked more to himself than me.

I shrugged. "Obviously, it's possible. Your colleagues didn't check my record well enough."

"Every cadet's record is check thoroughly several times before being approved to attend the academy. I personally approved yours and found nothing out of the ordinary."

"Are you saying I'm not special?"

"General Belikov?"

"One second, Kirova." He snapped.

"This is serious, Rose. This could be the difference between life and death. Something could have happened out in the field earlier. Why didn't you tell me?"

"So the _'Hey Dimitri, I can't breath!'_ didn't do it for you? I thought it was being pretty specific out on the track."

"That's different," He said defensively.

"I'm fine, Dimitri, honestly." I said. "As long as I have my inhaler with me, no one will even notice I have asthma. So chill."

"General Belikov?"

"Coming," he shouted over his shoulder.

Dimitri grabbed my forearm. "Let's keep this between the two of us until I can figure something out. Okay? I don't have any control over you getting kicked out this school and I don't want that to happen."

"Really? That's the nicest thing you ever said to me." I grinned slightly. "Usually you look like you want to hold a pillow over my face when I'm sleeping—"

"Come on," he said abruptly.

Dimitri led me into the office and took positioned himself like a statue against the wall.

"Please have a seat." Kirova gestured towards a chair placed in front of her giant wood desk.

I nodded and sat down. I tried to keep my nerves calm but my insides were in knots.

"So Miss Hathaway," She ripped off her glasses and twirled them in her bony hand. "General Belikov has informed me of your behavior lately, and I must say I'm surprised…I haven't had a student act the way you have in years."

Kirova sighed tiredly. That type of sigh that says _'I don't want to deal with you, you're wasting my time.'_

I narrowed my eyes at her.

She walked back in front of me, her black heels clinking loudly against the tile floor. Her whole demeanor screamed '_BITCH!_' and I fought the growl of annoyance that wanted to escape my lips.

"I'm putting you in General Belikov's hands." She slammed her hands against the desk.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"General Belikov has expressed to me that he believes this is what's best for you."

"And what do you suppose he does to help improve my behavior?" I spat with venom.

Kirova shrugged. "Train you, punish you, both…I don't know Miss Hathaway, what ever he feels is right."

I spun around in my chair to face Dimitri. "You set this up?"

His face and voice were emotionless. "Yes."

"Why is this even necessary? Is it really going to help me?...I'm already training in the morning, school hasn't even started yet. How am I supposed to have any time for anything else? This is absurd. " I was angry now.

"General Belikov will teach you self control, self discipline, and respect—things you are tremendously lacking in from what I have seen in the past few moments."

I glared at her.

"If you want to stay in St. Augustine's Military academy, then I suggest you take up this offer."

"But I don't even want to stay here!" I shot out of my seat. "My mother is forcing me to stay here! She forced me to enroll here! She is the only reason I am here."

"Very well," Kirova's voice was neutral. "If you would like to leave, Ms. Hathaway, the bus is right outside waiting for you. There is nothing keeping you here. Take the easy way out and quit."

"Is that a challenge?"

She ignored me. "Or you can stay here and fight your hardest to achieve what you desire. I assure you it will never be easy or fun…but in the end, you will be thanking General Belikov for what he has taught you."

Kirova paused for emphasis.

"The choice is yours Ms. Hathaway," she lounged in her comfy chair. "But if you shall choose to stay here, you have to try your hardest…no more pranks like the one you pulled earlier."

"But it was funny." I pointed out.

"I have not got all day Ms. Hathaway," she said. "I've other important issues to attend to, so please decide what you're going to do _now_."

I chewed on my bottom lip and glanced back at Dimitri. His face was blank and his body still. But I noticed when his warm brown eyes flickered over to me, they held some emotion.

Was that emotion _Faith?_..._Encouragement?_

It was all the motivation I needed.

If Dimitri believed I could do it. Then I could do it.

I paused and let out a big breath. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay," I nodded hesitantly. "I'll take up General Belikovs' offer."

* * *

**1 week later.**

"I hate you so much, Dimitri! You're my living nightmare!" I screamed, and wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve.

"You don't hate me." He chuckled.

"No," I puffed. "I'm pretty sure I do. You make me want to rip my hair out!"

"Aww," Dimitri said sarcastically. "But such pretty hair...that would be a waste."

"Really?" I asked surprised.

Dimitri nodded and then his face suddenly became alarmed. "Watch out!"

_Wham._

I ran into a pole.

I felt the wind leave my body as I dropped to the ground.

"Why is there a fucking pole in the middle of the track?" I gasped.

Dimitri looked concerned as he knelt down beside me. "It's not a pole, it's one of the academies cannons'."

"What?" I fell into a fit of giggles. "Why in the hell are there cannons?"

"Because there set to launch off tomorrow when classes start. Are you okay?"

I couldn't stop laughing and it began reeking havoc on my lungs—not to mention I'd just had the wind knocked out of me.

That panicky feeling set over me like a blanket.

"I need my inhaler, NOW!" I exclaimed.

Yelling caused more distressed to my lungs as I began gasping for air.

"Where is it?"

I laid back on the grass.

"Rose, Rose...where is it?" He hurriedly searched through my pockets.

"It's not here." His voice was frantic.

"It's in my-my..." It felt like a huge weight was pressed against my chest. "It's in my bag back at the gym."

Before I knew what was happening, I was being scooped into his arms as he began sprinting towards the gym doors.

I wanted to make some inappropriate comment about being in his arms, but the pain in my lungs was excruciating. The only thing I could compare it to was when you stay under water for too long.

Except it wasn't like that.

It was ten times worse.

"Stay with me Rose," his voice was frustrated as he grunted to open the gym doors. "We're almost there."

Black spots danced before my vision.

I was trying so hard to hold on...but it was a useless battle. I'd gone without oxygen for longer than a minute.

I was loosing consciousness.

Right before I blacked out, I heard a soft velvety voice whisper. "Don't worry, Roza, I've got you."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, I awoke to blaring white ceilings and the sound of a heart monitor beeping.

I'd been to the hospital so many times over the years that I was used to being here, it was like my second home.

"Fuck," I groaned, my lungs felt like they had exploded.

"Rose?"

I craned my head to see Dimitri in the chair beside my hospital bed. He had on the same workout clothes he'd been wearing earlier and with a faded western novel in one hand.

"Hey," I croaked.

"Hello." He released a breathtaking relieved smile. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Me too."

Dimitri chuckled, the sound was rich and warm. It reminded me of chocolate drizzling onto a fresh cute strawberry. It was wonderful.

"How long have I been out?" I sat up trying to clear my head.

Surprisingly, the only pain I felt was in my chest. It was that same familiar pain of a recent asthma attack. Nothing I couldn't handle.

Dimitri tired to help me sit up, but I pushed him away. "I'm fine, really...I'm used to this. I don't need your help."

He nodded and sat back in his seat. "You've only been out for 20 minutes. You passed out right when I got to your duffel bag."

"Just my luck," I muttered.

"You had an asthma attack."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I've had many before, it's no big deal."

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Me too," I laughed outright. "I can't believe I was taken down by a pole. I was doing so good out there!"

"Yes," Dimitri lips curled into a traitor smile. "You were doing great...really, really great."

Just then, I heard a small knock on the door.

"Hello?" In walked a petite blonde woman dressed in nurse attire. As she got closer, I was able to see her jade green eyes. "I'm Lissa, Dr. Olendzki sent me in here to check on you."

"Hi Lissa," I smiled.

"How are you feeling?" She asked kindly.

"Good, great, wonderful, amazing. Is that good enough? Can I go now?" I asked.

"Relax, Rose," Lissa chuckled. "Dr. Olendzki wanted to make sure you were fine. She's already ran a few standard tests and you appear to be okay." She flipped through her clip board.

"I have to go," Dimitri's voice came from beside me. "I'll see you tomorrow for training rose, 5:00AM sharp...don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it." I couldn't help but feel a little sad and disappointed he was leaving. I immediately bashed that needy feeling to death with an imaginary hammer.

He nodded once before closing the door shut behind him.

"So can I go now? I'm sick of being cooked up in this room." I asked while she flashed an annoying light in my eye.

Lissa laughed again, a sweet and kind laugh that made you drawn to her. I could already tell I was going to like her.

"Well since you're so anxious to leave," She wrote something down on her notepad. "There's no reason I should keep you here. You're free to leave Ms. Hathaway."

"Thank you, thank you!" I jumped off the bed and gave her a grateful hug. Lissa laughed again.

"You're welcome."

I ripped open the door.

"Hey!" Lissa called out.

"Hmm?" I spun around to face her.

"Don't forget your jacket." She smiled and handed over my red sweat shirt.

"Oh yeah," I said stupidly. "Thanks!"

And then I took off towards my dorm.

When I got there, I received the surprise of a lifetime.

"I thought you said that you'd see me tomorrow?" I asked.

Dimitri was knelt down, a screw driver in his hand. He shrugged. "I lied."

"Is that my door?" I squealed.

He nodded and flashed me a small smile. "I put it on my self."

"Why?"

"Why what?" He looked puzzled.

"Why did you put my door back on?"

"Because I believe you deserve it back," He stood up and walked over to me.

"Good night, Ms. Hathaway...enjoy your privacy back for a moment. Because you'll probably do something terrible tomorrow and I'll have to take it away again."

I laughed. "I will. Thank you, General Belikov."

He stared at me for a moment longer, before nodding and giving me one last smile and walking away.


	4. Chapter 4: You say jump, I say how high

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.

* * *

**

Not having a mirror made getting ready in the morning a real bitch. I hadn't had one for over three weeks and you'd figure I'd be used to it by now, but no…I wasn't.

I was running on hope that Dimitri would keep his promise, and if he did, I'd have my nice giant-sized mirror back in my bathroom by the end of the week. That was, if I behaved.

I couldn't believe it had been nearly a month since arriving here at St. Augustine's.

I hadn't earned any badges yet, and sadly I wouldn't until the end of the year. Dimitri had informed me of this on the second week we'd started training. Apparently, earning badges was like earning credits at school. You had to pass certain tests and exams, and by the end of the year, the academy would add up the points and give me my appropriate badges and metals.

Dimitri had also explained that if I worked extra hard in my training sessions with him, he'd add extra points to my record and I could be one of the best cadets attending the military academy.

That's what I was striving for. I wanted to be the best of the best. And I would be.

The only price I had to pay was spending time with the Russian jailer. Well, it wasn't really a high price…I actually enjoyed spending time with him—thanks to the stupid crush I'd developed.

I hated myself for taking a liking in him. Dimitri was seven years older than me. The general of the academy, and completely off limits.

He hadn't even shown any interest in me—not that I expected him to, but it would sure boost my ego up a few notches. The only response I got from him—if you could even call it a response—was his half smiles. Only half smiles. Nothing more.

And those only came once in a blue moon.

But God, how I loved those half smiles. The ones that showed his perfect white teeth and made his whole face light up. He was fire red hot when he smiled, kind of like hot tamales.

Sometimes he'd catch me staring at him, and I'd look away blushing like an idiot. I never blushed. _Never!_

What was this man doing to me?

Since my asthma attack—something Dimitri and I still kept secret between the two of us—I'd gotten acquainted with Lissa. And I liked her allot, which I found surprising considering I didn't play very well with other females.

I found myself drawn to her, and I couldn't figure out why. I guess it was her kindness and her want to help other people out. That was one of the many reasons she loved her job as a nurse here at the Military Academy.

Basically, Lissa had a good aura to her and a genuinely nice personality. I found talking with her to be easy and refreshing. Like a cool breeze when you step outside. I'd felt like I'd known her my whole life. And ever since I spotted her in the mess hall two weeks ago, we'd become really close. Almost like best friends.

The only thing I disliked about her was her boyfriend. His name was Christian Ozera, the loner I'd met on the bus the first day I'd came to St. Augustine's. The one with homicidal parents. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd turn out to be a psycho just like them.

How could someone so sweet be with someone so dark?

It was beyond me.

But then again, opposites attract.

And that's exactly what Lissa and Christian were, opposites. Yin and yang, sun and the moon, good and evil, water and fire.

The alarm screeching brought me out of my reverie. I looked at the clock, _5:05AM_.

I was five minutes late for morning practice.

_Shit._

With one more growl, I ripped the brush through my chestnut hair and tied it into a long braid that traveled down my spine and tickled the top of my waist.

I ran out the door with lighting speed.

I could see Dimitri out on the track, wearing his usual uniform—a black cotton t-shirt, olive green camouflage pants, and leather combat boots.

I had to take deep breaths and steady my breathing. The fantasies inside my head were running wild with the dirty thoughts of ripping his clothes off and tackling his naked body to the field—

_Stop it!_ I scolded myself.

Was I loosing my mind? Was it all because of Dimitri?

Sure he was drool-worthy sexy, but that had never affected me with any other guy before.

_He's not like other guys._ A little voice in my head sang.

I immediately clubbed that little voice to death with an imaginary tennis racket.

I needed to get a grip. I was Rose Hathaway, tough as nails, and a total badass cadet. I will not let Dimitri get to me this way.

Yeah, it was easier said than done.

"Good morning, Comrade," I greeted him with a friendly wave.

He acknowledge me with a sharp nod, never glancing my way, he was kneeling and studying a cannon—the same one I'd ran into when I'd had that asthma attack two weeks ago.

"Geeze," I placed my hands on my hips. "What crawled up your butt and died? I usually at least get a half-assed good morning…what's wrong with you?"

Dimitri's dark eyes flickered over to me. The edges of his mouth twitched, almost like he was having a difficult time not smiling.

"Nothing is wrong with me." He paused. "Well you didn't greet me by my appropriate title, but I'll let that slide…I'm used to it."

I giggled. "So where's my '_Good morning Rose, you look absolutely wonderful this morning.'_ ?"

Dimitri raised an eyebrow in amusement, and the smile suddenly unleashed on his face, showing his blinding white teeth. My heart skipped a beat and the butterflies in my stomach danced.

"Good morning, Rose," his voice was light and airy. I liked when he was this relaxed and not all up tight.

"And the other part…" I trailed off.

Dimitri outright laughed. The sound was smooth like velvet and rich like chocolate. God, I loved his laugh.

"That's all you're getting from me." He said.

"I could always get someone else to compliment me…" I teased.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," Dimitri's voice was sarcastic. "Go ask one of your many so called _men_, I'm sure they'll be happy to compliment you."

"Naw," I made a dismissive motion with my hand. "I don't feel like running back to the dorms, and waking Mason up just so he could tell me how wonderful I look."

"I wouldn't say wonderful," he muttered, still studying the cannon closely.

"Hey!" I picked a tiny pebble from the ground and chucked it at his head. "Not cool!"

Dimitri shook his head and glanced at me. "Not wonderful with that dried-up drool spot on your cheek."

I gasped. My hand flew to my mouth, embarrassed. I began scrubbing at my cheek like a maniac. "It's your fault! This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't token away my mirror. Now I can't see myself in the morning!"

I was flushed with embarrassment. I felt my cheeks heating up.

Dimitri came to stand right in front of me. His dark bottomless eyes gazing into mine with such an intensity that it made my knees feel like jelly. I felt so alive when he looked at me that way, more alive than I'd ever felt with any guy before. The feeling was exhilarating.

"Relax, Rose," Slowly, so slowly, those long graceful fingers of his brushed along my cheek bone. "I was kidding. There's no drool spot, your face is smooth as silk. Perfect."

I swallowed hard. I could practically feel my pulse beating erratically in my mouth. His warm fingers trail up to my temple and tucked a lock of dark hair behind my ear.

"I don't want to cut my hair," I blurted out.

"It's not required." His dark eyes were a blazing fire.

"Yes, I know that…but all the other female cadets do it. It makes them look more _professional_."

Dimitri suddenly pulled away and cleared his throat, as if here were breaking through a daze. He looked almost…embarrassed.

"It's not required," he shrugged, never making eye contact. "Just wear it up. As long as it fits under your military cap, you shouldn't have a problem."

"Thanks." I smiled.

He nodded and returned to the cannon.

I sighed.

"Whatcha' doing?" I asked.

Dimitri pulled out a box of matches and lit one. "This."

He put it to the little string on the back of the cannon, and it sparked.

_BOOM._

"What the fuck!" I dropped to the grass and covered my head. "Take cover, Dimitri! Take cover!"

"Rose, get up."

My ears buzzed from the explosion. "Did you seriously just launch that cannon?"

I stood on my feet and brushed off the dirt.

"Go do your usual stretches," His voice was calm and serene as he lit the next cannon.

"HOLY FUCK!" I dropped to the ground again and slapped my hands over my ears.

Dimitri lit one after another calmly, like he was doing something as simple as retrieving the morning newspaper.

"What are you doing?" I glanced up to see Dimitri standing there, a smirk plastered across his face.

Yeah, my mentor was insane.

"Saving my self from getting blown into tiny, bite-size pieces! What the fuck are you doing?" I screamed at the top of my lungs, it wasn't necessary though; Dimitri looked like he was done lighting cannons. Thank God.

"Mandatory monthly testing," he shrugged. "Haven't you heard them go off before?"

"Yes!" I scoffed. "But I was in my room. The booms are still loud, but there not as bad as being five feet away from them!"

He shrugged again.

"Doesn't it hurt your ears?" Dimitri helped me off the ground.

"No, not really," he shook his head. "I've been doing it for years, it doesn't really bother me."

I rolled my eyes.

"Have you done your stretches yet?"

I shook my head. "No."

He sighed exasperated. "Alright, we'll start with hamstring stretches."

I nodded eagerly and lay down onto the cool grass. Dimitri hovered above me; I stared into those chocolate brown eyes as he lifted my leg up and brought it towards his chest.

"It burns," I groaned after some time.

"That's the point." Dimitri's voice was neutral and blank; much like it always was when he was on duty.

"Can we switch to the other leg?" I asked hopeful.

He nodded and carefully grabbed my other leg, that same tingly feeling returned when his fingers touched the bare skin of my thigh. That feeling was wonderful, exhilarating, amazing…what ever you want to call it, I liked it.

I never wanted his skin to leave mine.

Dimitri must have sensed what I was thinking because he quickly pulled away, my leg landed to the ground with a soft thump.

He barked out orders. "20 set of leg crunches, 30 chin ups, 100 crunches, and 3 miles in 25 minutes. _Go_."

I nodded and did as I was told.

By the time I was finished with my morning work outs, my whole body ached and burned, but it was nothing compared to the way I felt when I first began training with Dimitri. By now, I was almost able to suck up the pain and keep going. Almost.

I had noticed a minor change in my body, a good change. My slight jelly belly had become more toned, my arms were more defined, and my bum had become plumper and toned.

I wonder if Dimitri noticed.

Of course, curiosity getting the best of me, I had to ask.

"Hey Comrade," I sauntered over carelessly where he stood. Dimitri had been taking a swig of water, sweat covered his entire body giving his tan skin a glistening glow, his black t-shirt clung to his body and was damp in certain areas.

One word: _Yum._

I swallowed hard and shook my head vigorously, like a dog drying off after stepping out of a lake. This was a way of clearing my R-rated thoughts and getting a grip on my libido, though…this method hadn't worked very well for me the past few weeks.

It was the best I could do.

"Hmm?" he hummed. Taking one last swig of water, he dumped the remaining contents over his head. The water drenched his face, soaked his shoulder length hair, and traveled down his neck and chest.

"Oh god," I bit my fist hard.

What was he trying to do to me?...Surely, his good looks had to be a form of torture.

"What are you doing?" Dimitri eyed me strangely. Extending his long muscular arms, his fingertips touched the metal of the pull up bar, he grabbed on and began resuming his chin ups.

"I-I-I," I stood there watching his body moving up and down gracefully. He made it look effortless, when I knew it was anything but. Chin ups were a bitch, but Dimitri made them enjoyable in this form. Watching was much better than doing.

"I—"

"What do you want Rose?" his voice was strained. "It's difficult to talk while I'm doing this."

"Pfft," I laughed. "You go through chin ups faster than a fat kid goes through cake. And that's fast."

Dimitri ignored me. I huffed.

"I just wanted to ask you," I paused and turned around, showcasing my back side. My head was twisted so that I was still able to see his face. "Do you think my butt looks better?"

"What?" He grunted. I didn't miss his dark eyes flickering down towards that area very quickly.

_Bingo._

"I said," My voice was confident now. "Do you think my butt looks better? It's bigger now…almost like I've been eating corn bread or something. But I haven't. I hate corn bread…"

Dimitri coughed; his face was filled with surprise and shock. I don't think he ever expected me to ask such a question.

I continued on with my reasonable argument. "I mean, it's more firm now. I can feel it," I patted my bottom. "I like the change. I think it looks good. It looks even better when I'm naked—"

Dimitri suddenly fell to the sandy ground with a loud thud. His back was to the ground. Ouch. I knew that hurt like a bitch.

"Are you okay?" I asked concerned. I automatically went to kneel by his side.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied gruffly. "Just give me a minute; I need to catch my breath."

"What happened?"

"My gripped slipped, that's all."

* * *

I stepped into the mess hall, the dark green chalk board read: _Ham sandwich, side salad, fruit bowl, and your choice of drink._

"Damn it, damn that cafeteria lady to hell." I hissed under my breath.

Lissa chuckled beside me, her angelic voice filling my ears like music. "What's wrong?"

We grabbed our red trays and began filling it up with food.

"There's nothing but healthy items on the menu," I complained. "My day just turned sour—like a warhead."

"A warhead?" she looked puzzled.

"A warhead, you know," I gave her a sideways glance. "The sour candies you get in those shiny packages. They're so good, but so damn sour…it's a love hate relationship."

She stared at me.

"Uh," I stuttered. "Never mind."

Lissa rolled her jade green eyes at me. "You should see what we have in the staff room for lunch; the place is loaded with goodies."

I eyed the staff workers and Dimitri's statue-like figure against the far wall. "Those sick sons of bitches. They're holding out on us."

She nodded, her platinum blonde hair swinging with her bubbly movements. "I agree—minus the whole swearing part."

"Why do you eat with me?" I asked curiously. Lissa and I sat at our usual table way in the back of the cafeteria.

She shrugged. "It's not only because of you—"

I pouted, my eyes watered and my bottom lip stuck out. This expression was so easy to do, and Lissa was such a softy that she couldn't stand it. She said that I looked like a sad puppy dog. I liked that. Maybe I could use this look later on Dimitri and he'd let me out of running or maybe he'd let me sleep in.

I didn't hold my breath.

"Well you are a big part of the reason why, Rose," she said hastily. "A really big part."

I smiled satisfied. "Thank you."

"But I also like eating in the mess hall because this is where Christian eats," Lissa giggled, getting that light in her eyes only the love of her life could bring. I sighed internally. "Plus, I'm only 18…I fit in here. Unlike that staff room, everyone is so much older than me."

"General Belikov is not much older than you." I noted.

Dimitri had made it clear that he hadn't minded me calling him by his first name, so long as we weren't around other people. Supposedly, it was disrespectful not to call him by his appropriate title, or _hierarchy_, or _sir_.

The hell with that, those names got really old after a while.

Lissa smiled. "Well no, I suppose not. But he's so dang intimidating…I really don't like being in the same room as him. He's not mean or anything—he's actually quite nice to me—but, he's just so overpowering an- and—"

"Badass," I filled in the word she was having difficulty finding.

Lissa laughed, a melodious bells and chimes laugh. "Yes, _badass_,"

"You sound weird cussing, it doesn't fit you." I said.

"I know!" she gushed. "I hate it! I hate to swear…it feel so unnatural coming off of my tongue. I don't know how you do it so much."

I chuckled. "Probably for the opposite reasons you do. Swearing feels so natural to me, it'd be hard to stop if I had to."

"Maybe you should," Lissa suggested.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "That would be impossible."

"Maybe I could smack you every time you swear…that ought to get you to stop."

I giggled.

"I'd love to volunteer for that position." Came a male voice behind Lissa. I rolled my eyes.

"Hey babe," Christian placed a lingering kiss to her lips.

I looked away.

"Hey Rose," He greeted.

"Hey hott stuff," I said.

Christian was wearing the usual male cadet uniform—navy blue jacket, matching pants, and a military cap. If I didn't dislike him so much, I would have said he was cute. His jet black hair and ice blue eyes gave him that edgy look.

I didn't entirely know why I disliked him so much. Maybe it was because his parents were homicidal psychopaths', or maybe it was because he was a psychopath, or maybe it was the sarcastic repartee we always exchanged between one another, or maybe it was because he stole allot of Lissa's time and I was jealous.

Maybe it was a combination of all of those.

Lissa had instantly perked up the moment he came in. Her pale face was luminous against her rosy colored cheeks and matte pink lipstick. She looked beautiful, like an angel.

"So," I said about halfway through lunch. "How does it feel to date an older nurse?"

"Empowering," Christian answered. "There's nothing like going down to the clinic, seeing her in that cute little white outfit, and bending her over the desk—"

"Christian!" Lissa chastised, her cheeks were a blaring red.

I laughed and made a gagging noise.

"What?" Christian grinned widely. "You have to admit it's kind of hot. Me in my military uniform, you in your nurse outfit, the two of us making love on one of those cot thingys."

"Kinky." I noted. "Remind me to never go to the clinic again."

"Don't worry," Christian murmured. "We clean up after wards. Ammonia is a wonderful house cleaner and wipes up sweat amongst other things extraordinarily well."

"Does it kill 99.9% of germs?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Okay," I breathed a sigh of relief.

Lissa shook her head and looked down embarrassed.

"I'm sorry babe," Christian chuckled, placing soft kisses along her neck. "I didn't mean to, I just love you so much that I want to express our love to the world."

"Did it have to go into sex details?" she said sex like it was a bad word.

"Of course," he scoffed. "Sex is a big part of our love life—an amazing part—and I'm not ashamed to go into details. I love everything about you."

I rolled my eyes and looked away. I heard Lissa's shrilling giggle followed by soft smacking noises. Kissing.

"Wow," I said. "You guys don't fight for very long, do you?"

"There's no reason to," Christian shrugged. "And you know what the best part of dating a nurse is?"

"The kinky sex?" I guessed.

"Besides that," he said.

"I don't know, I give up."

"That we can have an open relationship. Normal female and male cadets wouldn't even dare sitting in the same seat. But Lissa and I—since I'm 18 and she works here—we get to do whatever the hell we want. Though you can tell it irritates the staff workers when we're lovin' one another in the cafeteria. That's the fun part."

"That's nice," I mumbled. "I wish I had that kind of luxury."

"Where's Mason?" Lissa asked curiously.

I shrugged. "With Sergeant Petrov, supposedly he had an assignment that needed to be worked through lunch."

"Has he eaten?"

"No," I took a bite of my ham sandwich. "I'll bring him something to his room, I want to surprise him."

I looked at the clock hung above Christian's head.

"It's five minutes until the bell rings," I shoved a sandwich, bag of chips, brownie, and a soda into my back pack. "I gotta get this to Mason. Bye guys."

"Bye Rose," Both Lissa and Christian waved.

I slammed open the cafeteria doors and ran towards Mason's room. His dorm was located in the male high school/ college campus.

When I arrived there, there were men scattered everywhere. Imagine that.

I pushed and shoved my way through until I got to the stairs and booked it up three flights. I got to Mason's hallway. I was running so fast, that I felt rather than saw myself crashing into something hard.

I feel to the ground and groaned.

"Watch where you're going!" I snapped.

The man held out his hand for me but I ignored it and got up myself. "Sorry, my fault. I didn't see you there. But geeze little cadet, you got some force behind you. You came charging down that hallway like a bull!"

I laughed and mumbled an apology.

"No need to be sorry, you probably got distracted by my stunning good looks, it's understandable."

I looked up to his face for the very first time. The man had bronze colored hair, define cheek bones, developed lips, and hypnotizing emerald green eyes.

He was good looking, but I wasn't going to tell the cocky bastard that.

"My names not little cadet, it's Rose!" I corrected.

"Hmm, Rose," The man look thoughtful. "Beautiful, sexy name. But I'm going to call you _little cadet_, it suits you amazing well."

"Whatever." I snorted and began walking away.

"Wait," He grabbed me by my forearm. I shrugged him off. "Aren't you going to ask me what my name is?"

"Don't know, don't care." I shrugged.

"It's Adrian."

"Andrea?"

"Adrian."

"Adrianna?"

"A-d-r-i-a-n." he pronounced each syllable. Ah, how I love to get people frustrated.

"Nice to meet you, Adrian." I offered a genuine smile.

"You too, little cadet," Adrian gave a sexy boyish smirk. "See you later."

"I wouldn't count on it!" I shouted after his retreating form.

"Oh," I could barely hear his words. "I will definitely be seeing you later."

I barged into Mason's room and chucked the lunch onto his bed. He looked startled.

"Why are you putting on bug spray?" I asked puzzled.

"Uh," Mason shoved the bottle of _off _into his bag hastily. "No reason, just paranoid about getting stung or bitten."

"Okay, weirdo," I said slowly. He did look paranoid, like I'd caught him in the middle of something bad. "Here's your lunch, I'll see you later!"

And then I took off towards drill class.

"Thanks!" I heard Mason's voice echo through the hallway.

After Drill Team practice, dinner, and evening practice with Dimitri I was exhausted. I headed to my room and shut the door behind me. Thank God, I have a door.

I peeled off my sweaty workout clothes and stepped into the steaming shower. I hissed at first when the water made contact with the black and blue bruises covering my naked flesh, but eventually relaxed and let the scorching water massage the knots out of my back.

I carefully filled my hands with my favorite strawberry shampoo and lathered it into my dark hair. The scent floated around me, and massaging my scalp helped get rid of the pounding head ache.

After I rinsed out the shampoo and conditioner, I poured some lavender onto a poof and began scrubbing my skin clean. The scent floated around and had a calming affect to my senses, I wobbled in the shower and fought to keep awake. I was so damn tired.

I quickly rinsed my body and stepped out of the shower. I grabbed my plush red towel and wrapped it around my body.

And that's when I heard and saw the door bust open. I screamed.

"Rose?"

That velvety accented voice belonged to the Russian.

"Dimitri?" I yelped in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I heard his sharp intake of breath as the dim light from the hallway cast an illuminating glow over my body. I suddenly remembered I was only in a towel.

Dimitri face was blank and guarded. He just stared at me, and stared and stared and stared. Perhaps that was saying something all in it self. His dark eyes never once looked at my face, and I felt like I was naked under his intense penetrating gaze.

"See something you like?" I felt on fire from his warm bottomless eyes roaming my body. I needed to cover up my emotions with attitude.

"Get dressed," His voice was strained as he turned to face the other way.

I hurriedly put on my underwear and bra. "You better not be peeking!" I silently wished he would.

"Miss Hathaway, don't speak to me that way. I am your General and I will not tolerate it." And here comes asshole Dimitri again, I was wondering where he went.

I shoved on a pair of white sweats and a comfy blood-red tank top.

"Okay," I breathed. "I'm dressed. Now can you get out so I can get some rest?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"NO?" I exclaimed. "Why not? I've done everything that's on my checklist: Morning training, chemistry, liberal arts, Drill class, and Evening training! I've even cleaned my room perfectly, give me a break."

I lay down on the bed. Dimitri abruptly grabbed my by the waist and pulled me into his body. It was warm, and hard like rocks. My body filled with desire and I immediately scolded myself for it.

"We're going camping out in the woods," he whispered in my ear. "You've got five minutes to pack up what you need and meet your fellow cadets out on the field."

Dimitri abruptly released me. I stumbled and nearly fell but his hand shot out and steadied me.

"Thank you." I whispered.

He nodded and walked away, disappearing as fast as he'd appeared.

I reluctantly packed my things: A hair brush, tooth brush, clean clothes, a bag of chips, and a TMNT comic book.

It might get boring out there, you never know.

* * *

"Oh my GOD!" I gasped out of breath. "How far do we have to go in the woods, Dimitri? I'm tired and my feet hurt."

"Well now your back's going to hurt." He placed his camping pack onto my back.

"OW!" I exclaimed. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You complain too much."

Dimitri and I were leading the cadets to some secret spot in the woods. I'd been informed this was part of our cadet training and a mandatory test for all senior students. It was called survival 101…or something like that. Whatever it was, I didn't like it.

"Hey," I tapped Dimitri's shoulder. "Can I hold the lantern?"

He shook his head.

"You're no fun." I stepped over a giant rock that was in my path.

"I'm not here to be fun," He opened up his map and studied it carefully for several moments. "I'm here to teach you how to survive, and I'm here to teach you self-respect and self-discipline—"

"Because a cadet with no respect and no discipline is hardly a cadet at all," I mimicked his Russian accent. "Yes, I know the drill. You don't have to repeat yourself; I've heard it a billion times."

"Well then listen to it." He stared down at me with a small smile playing at his lips. "And you're horrible at doing Russian accents."

I giggled. "Yeah, that was pretty bad."

"General Belikov, we have reached our location. _Over_." The radio buzzed. I recognized that high-pitched female voice. It belonged to Tasha Ozera.

"Copy that. _Over_." He stuffed the radio back into his pocket.

"I nudged his shoulder with my elbow. "Are you mad that a girl beat you to the camping grounds first?"

"No," he said simply.

"Why?"

"Because she didn't beat us," Dimitri pointed to a small light in the distance. "We're here."

**30 minutes later:**

We found a perfect flat plane of dirt lying right beside a creek. Dimitri and half of the senior cadets met with Tasha, Alberta, Stan, and the rest of the remaining senior cadets.

By now, most of the students had pitched up there tent and were sitting by the roaring fire. I wasn't having so much luck; I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to put the poles and metal springs right.

When I'd asked Dimitri for instructions, he simply shook his and said that I needed to figure it out on my own. It was a part of the survival class and I needed to pitch a tent in order to pass.

It was beautiful out here in the middle of the woods. The smell of rain, mud, and pine trees flooded my senses. I loved that smell. It was the smell of nature. The smell of freedom. The midnight blue sky hung above us with a million little stars that floated around like a bee buzzing around a flower. The moon cast a beautiful glow all around us and made it much easier to see without a fire or lantern.

The early fall temperature was perfect, settling in around mid 80's. The night was perfect…well almost.

I gave the campfire a wistful glance. Christian and Lissa snuggled under a cover roasting a marshmallow. I watched as Christian blew out the tiny flame, pulled off the sticky goodness, and carefully raised it to Lissa's mouth. She giggled and bit down half of it while Christian stuffed the remainder of it into his mouth.

I smiled. I loved how happy he made her.

My eyes traveled to Mason's form. I was able to point him out easily with his blazing red hair. He was joking and talking animatedly with his hands to his buddy Eddie. The two smiled and fell into a fit of laughter. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I imagined it was funny.

My eyes traveled further and finally settled on where Dimitri sat on a giant log. I growled under my breath. Tasha was practically glued to his side; her head lay against his arm.

My stomach dropped with dread at the thought of them being more than friends.

The two laughed and smiled, chatting up a storm. Well, Tasha was. Dimitri would respond with a few words, a smile, or even a head nod. He looked happy around her, and I didn't like it one bit. I wanted to walk over and slap Tasha across the face when she took a bite of his smore.

Instead, I smacked myself across the face. Hard.

"Stop it, Rose!" Great, now I was talking to myself. "He seven years older than you. He's your mentor! Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it!"

I stomped on my own foot and hissed in pain.

"Okay, you can do this," I took in deep calming breaths. "You don't have to act like a needy, jealous girlfriend. Dimitri doesn't even want you. Why are you getting so worked up over nothing?"

After some of my boiling rage had vanished, I was determined to get this tent pitched up so I could go join my friends and have some fun…even if the way I put it up is not the correct way.

It only took me a minute or two, but I found four thick, long wooden sticks that had fallen from the trees towering above.

I opened up my tent and crawled inside. I shoved once stick in the ground—not caring if it punctured the tent; I would deal with that later. The top of the stick touched the roof and held up one corner of the tent.

_Bingo._

I did the rest of the three sticks and stepped out of the tent.

I grinned deviously. The tent looked perfect, just like the 40 other ones pitched up.

I quickly hid the metal poles and ran over to join Mason, Eddie, Lissa, and Christian.

"Hey guys," I snatched the smore out of Eddie's hand.

He made a noise of protest but I quickly shoved the treat into my mouth before he could take it back from me.

"Did you finish assembling your tent?" Mason asked.

I nodded and snorted. "Yeah, how else could I be over here?"

We all sat there and talked, roasting marshmallows' and making chocolaty smores. Well they talked; I sat there staring at Tasha with the evil eye. I'd grit my teeth every time she'd touch his arm or touch his leg; she made it seem like a casual gesture…but I knew better. That bitch was after my man.

_Your man?_

I laughed internally. I really was going crazy.

"Hey Liss," I tapped her shoulder. She ripped her lips away from Christian's.

"Hmm?"

"Can you go with me to the bathroom?" I asked. "I really have to go."

"You're SOL, Hathaway." Mason called.

"Why?"

"Because there are no bathrooms out here,"

"Not even outhouses?"

"Not even outhouses." Eddie shook his head.

"Son of a bitch," I cursed. "Just my luck, come one Lissa, let's go."

Lissa planted one more kiss to Christian's lips and stood up. He smacked her butt as she walked away, Lissa yelped in surprise and giggled.

I rolled my eyes and began walking towards the creek.

"Where should I go?" I asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Just make it quick, I don't like being out here alone. There could be bears, and lions…or some other predatory animal."

"What about serial killers?" I pulled down my pants and crouched down to do my business. "They could be lurking out there, hidden by the shadows. They'll wait until we're asleep and then slice our throats open—"

"Rose!" Lissa cried and shivered. "Please stop! You're scaring me."

I laughed. "Don't worry…your knight and shining armor will save you."

She smiled.

"Did you bring any toilet paper?" I asked.

"No."

"What am I supposed to use?"

"I don't know," Lissa hugged her arms tightly. "A leaf, a branch, a rock…just use something. I want to get out of here."

I used a leaf.

"Let's go," I waved her on. Lissa looked happy to be getting back to the camp site.

"Wait, wait," I stopped abruptly.

"What?" she squeaked in fear.

"I want to catch a fish from the creek." I said

"What?"

"I want to catch a fish from the creek," I explained. "Imagine the points I would get if I caught a fish bare-handedly. I'd ace that survival 101 class."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

I nodded and ran down towards the creek searching for a stick.

"I thought you wanted to catch a fish with your bare hands," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well then do it."

"It'll be easier if I stab it with a stick first. I'll just tell General Belikov that I caught it with my bare hands. This stays between the two of us." I whispered.

"How are you going to cover up the wound on the fish?" Lissa looked amused.

I shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

She laughed.

"Ah, perfect!" I exclaimed. I dropped to my knees and pulled at the branch, the fucker seemed to be stuck to the ground.

I felt something tickle at my calves and feet but decided to ignore it. I pulled at the branch with all my might but it wouldn't seem to budge. I was drenched in sweat.

And that's when I felt it.

A sharp pinch on my leg. I gasped and turned around to sit on my bottom.

"Lissa!" I was unable to keep the fear out of my voice. "Hand me the lantern, _now_."

"What's wrong?" She ran over and flashed the light above me. I was able to see everything clearly now.

Lissa gasped. I screamed.

That pinch earlier had been a fire ant. And not just one fire ant, hundreds of them. Apparently, I'd fallen right onto their hill.

The little red bugs crawled all over my legs and feet. There was so many of them covering me that they looked like blood splattered against the bright white of my sweat pants.

I screamed and started brushing them off frantically.

This pissed them off.

The fire red ants began biting my feet and legs. Each bite stung terribly as they released their venom into my body.

"Get up, get up! Get off the hill!" I was distantly aware of Lissa shouting at me.

I dove into the creek. When I got out, the fuckers were still holding on. I screamed as I continued getting covered in bites.

"What's wrong? What's going on here?" I recognized that deep voice. Dimitri.

He grabbed the lantern out of Lissa's hands and ran over to me.

Dimitri picked me out of the water effortlessly and set me onto the ground.

"Get them off of me!" I screamed. "Get them off of me, get them off of me!"

Dimitri hurriedly brushed off as many of the red ants he could with his hands, only gritting his teeth when getting stung.

"There's too many," he whispered. "Take of your pants."

"What?" I asked stupidly.

He suddenly pulled at the waist line of my sweats and swiftly ripped them off my legs—I'm guessing he'd done that before. Dimitri threw my pants into the creek.

"Hey!" I protested as he began sweeping off the few stray bugs that remained. "Those were my favorite."

"They were covered in Red ants," he said. "It was necessary."

Dimitri looked up to Lissa. "Get someone to bring Miss Hathaway a fresh pair of pants, please."

She nodded and took off, leaving the two of us all alone.

"It stings," I cried.

"I know, I know," His voice was soft and compassionate. "This well help though."

He pulled out some sort of anti-bacterial ointment.

"What else do you got back there?" I laughed.

My lower body felt like it was in flames, and yet I was making a joke. What was wrong with me?

Dimitri grinned. "This." He pulled out something in a plastic wrapper.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A candy bar," he answered. "I see you eating them all the time in the cafeteria; I figured it'd make you happy."

I smiled and nodded eagerly. "Thank you."

Dimitri chuckled when I snatched it out of his hand and began gnawing on it.

"Now, lets take a look at your wounds," He flashed the light over my bare legs. His jaw clenched and his eyes went hard.

"Is it bad?" I asked in a small voice. I looked down and gasped.

"I look like I have chicken pocks!" I exclaimed. "That's not very attractive."

My calves and feet were covered in tiny swollen blistery red bumps.

Dimitri pulled out a water bottle and began pouring its liquid all over my legs. The cool water helped sooth my burning skin and it felt good.

"Thanks."

He smiled and nodded. Dimitri unscrewed the cap of the ointment and poured some into his palms.

"Alright, this may sting a little," he warned and touched his palms to my legs.

I gasped and bit my lip. The gel stung almost worse than the actual bite itself.

"Take it away." I said.

"No," Dimitri replied firmly. "If we don't do this you can get an infection."

"I hate you." I glared at him.

His long graceful fingers rubbed circles into my skin, and for a moment, I ignored the pain and concentrated on the feel of his hands on my body. It worked.

All too soon, it was over.

"Thank you." I said gratefully.

Dimitri gazed into my eyes, his dark eyes studying my face thoroughly. "You're welcome, Roza."

I was about to question him on what _Roza _meant, but we were interrupted.

"General Belikov? Rose? I have the clothes you needed." It was Mason.

_Damn him._

Dimitri's stoic mask slipped back into place. He was General Belikov again.

He stuffed the ointment back into his pocket and grabbed the empty water bottle.

"Give her the pants," He stood up.

Mason handed me a pair of boring gray pants. I groaned.

"Get dressed Miss Hathaway, it's almost time to report back to your tents," Dimitri glanced at his watch. "I expect you two back _very_ soon."

Mason nodded. "Yes, sir."

With another blank look at the both of us, Dimitri stalked away.

"Wow," Mason chuckled. "It looks like you got messed up pretty bad. I'm not minding the view of you in those black lacy underwear though—"

I punched him in the arm and laughed. "Shut up, Mase. You could never handle all of this and you know it."

"Oh, I could handle it." I heard him mutter but decided to ignore it.

I quickly shoved on my pants, wincing every the itchy fabric rubbed against a bite.

"I'm ready," I began walking towards the campsite. "I'm so damn tired; I just want to go to bed."

"Shall I show you back your tent?" Mason grinned at me.

I chuckled and nodded. "I would like that very much."

When we got there, the tent was still up. Thank God. I nearly did a happy dance but decided against it at the last moment.

Mason zipped open the tent. I heard his slight gasp.

"What?" I asked.

He didn't say anything. I peered over his shoulder to look inside. I froze.

There was a damn raccoon in my tent, a raccoon!

The gray furry creature stared at us unmoving. The light from the lantern showed his beady little black eyes. My bag had been ransacked.

"Oh hell no," I rushed into the tent.

"Stop," Mason grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?"

"Getting the raccoon out!" I whispered yelled. "That fucker has my Fritos!"

"No," Mason said gently. "He's probably got rabies,"

I huffed.

"It's okay, it's okay little Meeko…" he cooed, trying to calm the wild creature.

"Meeko?" I asked confused.

"The raccoon from Pocahontas." he explained.

"Oh."

The animal made a loud hissing noise.

I shoved Mason towards it. "Get him, Meeko! Don't get me!"

And then I ran for my life.


	5. Chapter 5: Mixed Signals

**A/N:**

I usually don't reply to my reviewers, but I want you all to know I appreciate each and EVERY one of your reviews. I love to hear what you guys think of my story and I'm glad you all are enjoying it so far. It gives me tons of inspiration to write.

Again, I apologize if I get any military information incorrect. Plenty of my stuff will be wrong, I basically make it all up in head. I only do little research because I don't have the time and energy to spend hours searching for information. So just roll with it and ignore my mistakes! After all, this is just fiction. ;-)

I give this new chapter to my readers as a BIG thank you! You guys ROCK! :-)

Until next time,

Breanna

* * *

**Rated T for language.**

"For the hundredth time, Ashford, I am sorry!"

Mason sat on one of the lounge chairs the seniors had packed for this survival 101 class. The dieing flames of the sleeping fire cast a glow over his blazing red hair.

Lissa kneeled by his side, tentatively bandaging up his wounds. I guess having a nurse as a best friend comes in handy more than you think it would.

His glare hardened until his face was set into a permanent scowl. I found it extremely difficult to keep contact with the color of his stormy grey-blue eyes. I some how managed not to look away.

I'm Rose Hathaway, I don't back down. And there was no way in hell I would let Mason believe he had the dominant upper-hand here.

"Sorry for what?" The tone of his voice was icier than frost.

"I'm sorry for pushing you into the tent, and leaving you alone and defenseless against a raccoon." I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Mason's freckle dusted ear perked up, his voice mocking. "Would you be so kind as to repeat yourself, Ms. Hathaway?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. He at least had the decency to flinch.

"I am sorry I allowed the raccoon to attack you." I repeated my apology.

Mason smiled triumphantly, like he'd just won the lottery. "Thank you, Ms. Hathaway. I forgive you for purposely forcing me onto a wild animal and leaving me to get attacked…all so you could protect yourself."

I rolled my eyes at his teasing. One thing I loved about Mason was his ability to get angry and then loosen up a minute later, returning to his care-free sense of humor. He was a lot like me. The only difference: I usually stayed mad.

I nodded. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Next time we come up against a rabid animal, whether it be a bear, pig, mountain lion, vipers, or Canadian geese…I got your back, Mase."

"After all, we have to remember one of the most important rules of the academy: No cadet shall be left behind." I said.

He chuckled, a genuine amused laugh. "I think you're finally grasping the concept of this school. I'm impressed."

I brushed off my shoulders, like it was no big deal. "I suppose St. Augustine's is growing on me."

"All done!" Lissa declared. She stood and ripped the pair of latex gloves from her pale fingers and disposed of them in a nearby trash can.

"I hate gloves," I murmured.

Mason's cute face scrunched up with curiosity. "Why?"

"The powder inside of it makes my hands itch," I explained. "Plus why are they so tight? They feel like condoms for hands."

"I hate condoms." he muttered.

"Anyways," Liss spoke up, rolling her bright jade green eyes at the two of us. "Mason, the Raccoon did show signs of Rabies—the foaming of white substance at his mouth indicated that. However, on the bright side, he only scratched your skin with his claws, you clearly weren't bitten…therefore the Rabies shot won't be necessary."

"Sweet Jesus," Mason looked up to the sky and perched on his knees. "Thank you, thank you so much."

He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. "I heard that damn rabies shot was painful."

Lissa nodded solemnly. "From what I've been told and the stories from my patients…It's defiantly not the most pleasant experience in the world." She finished with a forced chuckle.

I snorted. "Afraid of needles are we, Ashford?"

Mason's eyes widened. He managed to quickly regain his composure and slip on his blank mask. His voice was defensive. "No, absolutely not."

That was a lie if I'd ever heard one.

"I'll have to write that fear down in my note book, it might come in handy later."

He opened his mouth to protest but Lissa cut him off, ignoring the both of us. "Just make sure to rinse out the cuts a minimum of four times daily, or else they can become infected...and that could develop into a more serious issue. We don't want that."

She shook her head like a disapproving mother would after catching her child's hand in the cookie jar. Mason bounced his head side to side, agreeing with her and mouthed the word _'No.'_

"Rubbing alcohol will help clean and disinfect the wounds, so make sure to apply that as well." she said.

"What about Neosporin?" I asked curiously. Lissa was a nurse after all, she helped heal and save peoples lives.

She nodded. "Yes, that will help too, but only after the wounds have scabbed over."

"Eww," I commented.

"Also in appreciatively four or five days, give or take. I want you to remove the bandages and let the injuries heal by allowing them some air." Lissa paused. "After you have done all of that, you should be fine."

Mason nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

She beamed at him, flashing a blinding white smile that glowed in the dark and fashioned two pointy canine teeth.

Damn, I'd always wished I could have teeth like that. They almost looked like vampire fangs. Cool.

Instead I was cursed with normal, flat teeth. But hey, I'll take what I can get. And I'll admit, I had a pretty smile—just not an exotic one like Lissa's.

"You're welcome." she said softly.

I yawned and stretched my arms and legs out wide like a cat. "Well. I'd like to stay out here and chat with you lovely's all night…but it's late and I'm tired."

"Yeah, me too." Lissa and Mason agreed.

After our good nights, Lissa shuffled off to her tent—I had a feeling she wasn't going to be staying in there long, not with Christian looming around anyways.

I had to ask one more question.

"Hey Mase," I called out.

"Shh!" He made over dramatic hand movements to silence me. He looked like a mental patient who had been out of pills for a good while.

"What?" I whispered yelled. Mason was standing just outside of his tent.

"You could wake someone up and we'll both get in trouble!"

I would had thought the situation was comical if I was an outsider watching in on us. Mason and I were screaming at each other through whispers.

"Oh," I paused. "Afraid of the big, bad General?"

"Of course I am! Everyone is…that man is a dick!"

I grimaced. "And that man is standing right behind you."

Mason stood there frozen like a block of ice. Judging from how afraid he looked, you'd assume Jason or Freddy Krueger was standing behind him.

Was Dimitri really that terrifying to defy?

"Naw," I chuckled. "I was just jerking your chain."

His expression went from fear to anger in an instant. "You little b—"

"Ah, ah, Mase," I clicked my tongue. "No need to get nasty now, I just wanted to ask you a question."

"What is the question?" he said behind gritted teeth.

I jerked my head towards my tent. "Meeko still in there?"

He shook his head.

"Well, where did he go then? I know he didn't just vanish into thin air." I was tired, irritated, covered in bite marks, and I'd had just about enough.

"When I ran screaming out of there," he said. "That little bastard chased me down."

"So…he's for sure out of there?" I asked.

"Yep," Mason pursed his lips, forming a tight line. "That little rascal is long gone out in the woods somewhere."

I nodded. "Thanks Mase, goodnight."

"Wait," he called out.

I was already in the tent so I poked my head out. "Yeah?"

"Here's a little tip for next time," Mason clasped his hands together, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Don't bring food into your tent, wild animals can sniff it from miles away and they'll go bananas for it."

"It was just a bag of chips," A part of me was sad that I'd lost them. "I was planning on eating them tonight. They weren't even in there for very long."

A small smile touched his lips. "Obviously long enough."

I rolled my eyes and zipped my tent shut on him, ending our conversation.

"Good night, Hathaway." Mason's sing song voice was carried by the wind.

Good night indeed.

When I dreamt, it was defiantly not the most pleasant experience.

_I stared up into the cloudy ivory sky. It was too bright for my eyes and I had to look away. I tried to move my head but it wouldn't budge. I wanted it to move so badly but it was like my body was glued to the spot._

_The whiteness increased, burning my eyes and giving me a blaring migraine. The pain in my head was horrible, I felt like someone had hit me repeatedly with a sledge hammer._

_I groaned but the sound came out funny since my lips were frozen, or at least they felt like it. I tried to wiggle my toes. Nothing. I tried to squeeze my hands. Nothing._

_My whole body was paralyzed. The only thing I could do was move my eyes and that sent a sharp pain to the back of my brain. I told the pain to leave me the fuck alone and ignored it as best I could._

_I used my eyes to look around. Nothing but blinding white met my vision. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. Was this what heaven felt like? _

_I sure hoped not._

_What was wrong with me? I tried to fight the oblivion off, but it made sure I was unable to move. I couldn't tell the difference between reality anymore. Everything around me was candy sugar-coated. It couldn't be real. No, it defiantly couldn't be._

_Everything was so disorienting. A large blue cloud danced in front of my vision so fast it made me want to double over and vomit._

_The large blue cloud cast a shadow over the blinding white light and it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Everything was still a blur, but I was able to make things out clearer._

_"Hello, my dear…everything is going to be alright. Just take a deep breath and relax."_

_I made out the silhouette of a man—at least that's what I think it was—with a blue mask on. A surgical mask, I realized. He had a standard doctors hat on as well, and that combined with the mask only let me see his eyes. They were a deep sea green. They almost looked familiar…_

_But I was positive I had never seen or met this man before. My gut feeling insisted on that fact._

_He smiled a blurry white smile. There was something sadistic to it. Evil. I didn't like it._

_"This is just going to hurt a little bit." The man held up a glass vile filled with a clear liquid. A moment later, the shadow of a syringe cast over my face._

_I made a noise of protest. This was wrong. My mind was telling me it was wrong._

_"No!" I screamed. But nothing came out of my mouth except a small moan. _

_"No!" I repeated myself over and over again. But nothing happened. My lips felt like they were super-glued shut._

_"Shh, shh, Rosemarie," How does he know my name? "Just relax, hun…you'll be fine—for now."_

_I felt a pinch on the fold of my arm. The needle._

_A second later, I felt a burning sensation as he injected the contents into my blood stream._

_I screamed in agony. The sound seemed to be a little louder than the others. But it still wasn't enough. I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I could feel pain._

_I was useless._

_I felt like was being held underwater. I was trapped in my own body and couldn't get out. _

_"It's okay, it's okay…" Something metal shined against the light. A scapel._

_I felt it cut deep into my skin. A horrible, stingy feeling. A crimson color reflected in his green eyes. My blood, my life line seeping out of me…_

I gasped and shot up causing my head to hit the roof of the tent. My mouth was dry and my skin felt overheated. The tank top I was wearing was drenched in sweat and clung to my back, like a napkin thrown over spilled juice.

I tried to shake the remaints of my nightmare away, but there was still a wave of panic washed over me. My heart was beating so fast you could see my chest move with it. I began shaking uncontrollably.

The dream felt so realistic. I could have sworn I was there. The pain was real…I could still feel the burning needle stabbing into my skin and the stinging incision he made across my abdomen with a scalpel.

"Hello sleeping beauty,"

I shrieked and my hands automatically flew to my mouth.

"Did I scare you?" Dimitri smile was a predatory one, yet it held a tint of playfulness. His body was half in my tent, cutting off at the waist. The rest of him was kneeled outside.

I gulped. "No."

"Are you sure?" Those graceful fingers of his touched the sheet that was draped over my thighs, caressing the cotton material. "You look pretty frightened to me."

I jerked my head side to side. "Just had a nightmare, that's all."

His dark brows furrowed in concern. "Want to tell me about it?"

I shook my head once again. I seemed to be doing that a lot. "Not yet,"

"That bad?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll tell you when I'm ready, okay?"

Dimitri nodded but he still looked uncertain, as if he didn't believe me. "I'm sure you'll come around to it."

I coughed. "So why are you in my tent? I'm not really one for good mornings…" _Unless you're laying next to me_, I silently added to myself.

The cool breeze blew in from outside. The invisible force touched my skin and fanned my hair out. The sweat on my body froze and turned into gel. The aroma was damp with water. It smelled almost like rain, but I knew it wasn't raining. The water scent flowed from the creek just outside of my tent.

He shrugged. "I just came here to check on you and bring you some breakfast."

Without taking his eyes off me, he stretched one muscular arm out of the tent. I heard the scratchy sounds of dirt and rocks rubbing together and a second later his hand popped back inside, holding a medium-sized brown paper bag. He handed it to me.

I couldn't help but smile. "What's in here?"

"Look inside and find out yourself," He maneuvered in all the way and zipped the door shut behind him.

I raised both eyebrows, thanks to my inability to raise one. "Did you bring all of the other cadets' breakfast too?"

Dimitri eyes immediately flickered down sheepishly, refusing to make eye contact with me. I saw a flash of emotion cross his flash for a split second…_Shame? Embarrassment?_

I couldn't tell. His dark, thick eyelashes obscured my view.

Finally, after a few moments, he answered. "No."

I chuckled and peered inside the bag. Two multi-colored sprinkled donuts and two chocolate glazed donuts stared back at me.

"How did you know these were my favorite?" I asked around a mouthful of food. I'd already managed to eat a whole one; I was working on my second.

He smiled. A warm, pleasantly amused smile. The one that lit my insides on fire and awoke feelings I thought would remain buried forever—ever since my boyfriends' tragic death.

"I know they're your favorite." The smile remained evident in his voice.

"How?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"General secrets." He said.

I shook my head and decided to let it go. I knew I would never get an honest answer out of him.

I giggled out of the blue. Dimitri rose an eyebrow and stared at me strangely, this only made me giggle harder.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

I shook my head and covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stop my endless giggles but it didn't work.

I pointed to his head.

Dimitri glanced around. "What?"

"Your head, it's hitting the roof," I chuckled. "It's got to be uncomfortable…you're too tall for this tent."

Dimitri's head was cocked to the side like a curious puppy. I knew the muscles in his neck had to be aching with strain.

He shrugged. "I've had worse."

I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but decided against it at the last moment. When Dimitri was being this kind and gentle, you didn't risk loosing it by trying to ask personal questions about him self. He'd retreat like a turtle when they hid in their shells, and turn into that hard-ass general once again.

I didn't want that right now. I favored Dimitri, not General Belikov.

"Here," I patted the spot beside me. "Lay here, it won't hurt your neck as much."

He looked extremely hesitant.

"Come on, big boy," I coaxed.

Dimitri remained tense and hesitant.

I laughed. "I won't bite, I promise."

His dark brown eyes narrowed in suspicion ever so lightly. He lay down beside me. I fought the urge to squeal with excitement.

Sure, his body was press against the other side—as far away from me as possible. But he still laid down! That was an improvement. Maybe I was getting somewhere after all…

Dimitri was like a giant glacier. I had my ice pick and was slowing chipping away at him…one piece of ice at a time. As more ice fell, so did walls and restrictions keeping us apart. All I needed was time and patience. Yes, defiantly patience. Patience was key.

"How is the bites?" He reached over and peeled the sheets away, revealing my bare legs and feet.

I gasped. "They've almost entirely vanished!"

He grinned. "Yes, I told you the anti-bacterial ointment would be very helpful."

"Indeed," I nodded. "But that shit felt like acid against my skin. It hurt like hell."

Dimitri's eyes shadowed with disapprove.

"Sorry," I lowered my head. "I can't help it…I've got the mouth of a dirty sailor."

He grasped my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Don't be sorry. It's a part of who you are."

"Are you saying that you don't mind me swearing?"

He ran a frustrated hand through his long hair and released me. I instantly felt the loss of his tingly skin against mine. I pouted. "No, I just don't particularly like to hear you swear. It's a terrible habit. But…"

"But what?"

He shrugged, and even though he was resting on his side, he managed to look graceful. I was almost jealous. Almost.

"I guess I'm just used to it."

"Used to it?" I laughed before I could stop myself. "Does that mean you've spent so much time around me that you're okay hearing people swear?"

He shrugged again and didn't say anything.

I exhaled and took a bite of the sprinkled donut. The sweet taste of icing and sugar danced across my tongue. I moaned.

Dimitris' eyes went wide as a UFO ships.

"What?" I tucked a lock of dark hair behind me ear. It was a nervous habit of mine when I felt uneasy. I went into defensive mode. "It's delicious."

He swallowed hard like it hurt. Slowly, so slowly he lifted his hand to my face. He held it there away from me for a few seconds, hesitating, give me the opportunity to push him away if I wanted to.

I didn't. I wanted him as close to me humanly possible.

I closed my eyes. A moment later I felt the brush of his thumb across my bottom lip. Hot and feverish and tingly. I shivered. I kept my eyes close, enjoying the feeling of his touch.

"A sprinkle, Roza," Dimitris' voice was husky, the pronounced Russian accent becoming more audible. The way he rolled his R's did things to my body I wouldn't admit out loud.

I opened my eyes to see a single white sprinkle dangling from his finger. A second later he popped it into his mouth. I nearly blushed and didn't have a damn clue why.

His hand returned to my lips, and not in search of a stray piece of food. I bit my bottom lip unconsciously and accidentally nipped his tan hand, lightly.

He pulled back. "I though you said you don't bite."

"Not in the way you're afraid of." I winked.

His relaxed face suddenly went tense and guarded.

Dimitri shot up and cleared his throat harshly. "I must be going; the cadets will be getting up soon."

Before I knew what was happening, he'd unzipped the tent and was flying out faster than Spiderman.

What had I done to scare him off?

His emotions were like light switches; on and off. Hot and cold.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He spoke in monotone, voiding his face of all emotions. It was cowardly. "Just get some rest and relax, you still have quite some time before the tests start. It's only dawn."

The gray dim light hovering above the nearly translucent fabric of the tent confirmed that it was only dawn. At least I could get some uninterrupted and hopefully dreamless sleep. That would be pleasant.

Dimitri zipped the door shut hastily and was gone before I could say bye.

I drowned the pillow over my face and fell into a deep, dark oblivion.

* * *

I dressed in my bikini; the color was a rich royal blue and went perfectly with my olive skin tone. After slipping into my white flip-flops and applying a fair amount of tanning oil to my body—something I knew would set Dimitri off, he'd made it specifically clear that cadets were to wear sun block and nothing else—I was ready to go swimming.

The sun beat down on my skin heavily. Sweat trickled down my spine. I loved the feeling of it. It reminded me of home and the summers I shared with Mia. My skin would get such a deep, rich brown that looked wonderful in everything I wore. The suns rays always cured any bad mood I was in and made me happy.

I met Lissa and Christian by the breakfast benches. Lissa was dressed in a lime-green bikini that matched her eyes perfectly. Her pale skin glowed and reflected in the sun like a mirror. I was nearly blinded. Her platinum blonde hair was the color of rich gold in the light.

Christian stood there, carefully rubbing lotion onto her back.

"Yeah, you're defiantly going to need that with how pale you are, Liss." I said.

She smiled, genuinely pleased to see me. "Good morning to you too."

I grinned back unable to help myself.

"Yeah, well we aren't all lucky as you to have tan complexions," Christian turned around so Lissa was able to smooth some SPF onto his back. White swim trunks rode low on his hips. "Some of us can't tan in the sun…we just end up burning."

"I hope you get as red as a lobster." I laughed.

Lissa narrowed her eyes. "That's not very nice."

"Not you, Liss," I corrected. "Just Christian…"

She shrugged.

Christian gaped, feigning hurt. "Did you not just here what your best friend said about me, Honey? Defend your man!"

Lissa smiled and didn't say anything. I laughed.

"I cannot believe you are not outraged at her," Christian jerked one finger in my direction. "She hopes I get burned until I look like a red lobster! That has to hurt you somewhere in that cunning, soulless body of yours…"

"It does," she nodded solemnly. "It hurts the deepest, darkest parts of my insides…it burns, baby, it burns."

Lissa pulled on his shoulders; he flipped around so he could face her. She began applying more lotion to his pale chest.

Christians body had a little muscle to it, not much…he was more lanky than muscular. It complimented him nicely though, he was meant to have a skinny body. It fit his tall frame well.

"Why do I get the feeling you're being sarcastic?" He narrowed his ice-blue eyes at her.

"I'm not, baby," She leaned on her tip toes and planted a kiss to his lips. Lissa giggled when he tried to go in for more and pushed him away.

I gagged.

"That's right, sweetie," Christian whispered. Lissa was rubbing lotion across his stomach. "Just a little bit more. Go lower…lower…lower."

"Christian! Stop it!" Lissa scolded and smacked his stomach lightly.

He grinned like the Cheshire cat, some of his jet-black hair blew into his face. "Sorry babe."

He looked anything but.

**

* * *

**

Lissa was so kind as to pack us a few refreshments and snacks in her giant, pink beach bag. I cracked open a can of sprite and munched on a bag of pretzels.

Myself, Lissa, Christian, Mason, and Eddie were all seated next to one another on the cool damp earth. I'd made sure that our spot wasn't anywhere near that damn fire ant hill.

All the cadets lounged around watching the Survival 101 water tests go down. I didn't pay much attention; my eyes were focused on Dimitri. He was wearing a tight black top and navy blue swim trunks that every male instructor did.

He hadn't even said a word to me since he left my tent so abruptly this morning.

Hell, he barely even spared me a glance. I did catch his eyes once though. Dimitri stared at me coldly for a second, and then looked away quickly.

He then did something that made my heart stop.

Dimitri removed his shirt.

I heard Lissa's small gasp. Yeah, she knew he was one hot piece of ass too…

He threw his shirt to the ground. It was the first time I'd ever seen his body bare before, since he always kept it hidden behind his military uniform.

Dimitri looked warm and amazing and inviting.

His chest matched the color of my skin tone. Broad shoulders, wide chest, and narrow hips complimented his body. He was muscular—that was obvious—but not bulky like a lot of other weight lifters can get. Perfect. I wanted to run my hands across the smoothness of his abdomen. To top it all off, he was hairless. I approved.

He scribbled something down on his clip board.

I gulped and very reluctantly looked away. I couldn't sit there drooling over him all day, nothing would get done.

"Edgar, you're up first." Dimitri's deep voice rang out with authority.

"What a name." I snorted. He heard me and let it go.

About an hour or so later, it was finally my turn.

"Let's do this!" I fist pumped the air. I ran and stood by the waters edge, my body crouched and poised ready to dive right in.

"Ms. Hathaway," I heard the smile in his Russian accented voice. "If you're going to dive in, you might want to get somewhat deeper into the water. If not, you'll end up crashing your entire body into the rocks and sand."

I glared at him, more angry at myself that I'd had missed something so obvious. He was right, if I dove right into the shallow water, it'd be like jumping into a pile of rocks and shells. I'd get cuts that would sting like a bee-otch. Hell, knowing my luck…I'd probably hit my head really hard and get a concussion.

Dimitri continued talking and I'd really wish he'd shut his trap. "I really don't want to deal with the clean up, and the mess and the blood; it'd be a lot of wasted energy on my part. So go ahead, take a few steps in, and allow your skin the time to adjust to the temperature of the water. Relax."

My skin suddenly felt extremely hot, too hot. His usual hard voice was soft and vaguely obscene as he spoke the last few words…almost like what he was saying was something dirty. Sexual.

His voice was like silk against skin. Touchable and desirable.

I swallowed hard and glanced around me. Everyone was about their business, either watching my performance, taking a drink of water, or munching on a snack…nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to indicate they had heard anything unusual about the tone of Dimitri's voice.

I came to the conclusion that I had imagined it.

Yes. Definitely imagined it.

There was no way in hell that Dimitri was subtlety flirting with me. _Right?_

I got a good look at the creek for the very first time. "Eww, General! I'm not going in…the water is brown and murky."

"You'll be fine," The words came out in an exasperated sigh. "A little bit of dirt doesn't hurt anyone. Besides, it's only because of the students kicking it all up with their feet. By the time you start treading water...the dirt will settle and become a nice crystal clear."

He finished with a dry smile.

"I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much," I said. "That's got to be the longest speech to ever come from your lips."

"Ms. Hathaway, I'd shut that pretty little mouth of yours…unless you'd like to spend the rest of the day in your tent?" He smiled. A threatening smile, the one that says if you don't knock it off, I'm going to hurt you. Oh well. My day is not complete unless I do something that annoys the hell out of Dimitri.

"Naw," I shrugged. The tent was like an oven. I'd bake until I was a crispy french fry. "I'm good out here, thanks for the offer though."

"Very well," He scribbled something down on paper.

"Alright, General Belikov, I'm doing it." I gently eased into the freezing water, goose bumps rose on my skin. I winced as I got further and further into the dark water. I didn't stop until I was emerged past my shoulders.

"Ms. Hathaway," Dimitri was suddenly in front of me. The irritated tint to his voice indicated he'd called my name a few times, and I hadn't responded.

"Answer me when I talk to you," His deep voice was like a knife that cut deep into my flesh.

"Sorry, I was unable to." I shrugged in the water even though he couldn't see it.

"And why is that?"

"My toes are numb and my nipples are hard as rocks, is that a good enough excuse for you?" I snapped.

I got the satisfaction of seeing his mouth drop open, like a scene on an old-fashion cartoon. Many things didn't surprise Dimitri, this was one of them.

"Hathaway!" Stan barked. My ears cringed. "You _can_ not and you _will_ not speak to your hierarchies that way. Do you understand?"

Dimitri recovered from his shock and spoke; well the appropriate term would be yelling. "Drop and give me fifty!"

"What?"

"DROP and give me FIFTY!" A look of anger passed over his face and the pit of my stomach tightened in fear.

"In the water?" Fear turned to attitude and stupidity. "That's a little difficult isn't it? I can't exactly swim down to the bottom."

"Get out and do it," Dimitri commanded.

I got out. "If you just wanted a nice view of my ass you should have asked."

He snatched me up by my arm, his fingers dug painfully into my flesh. There was no doubt I'd be sporting black and blue bruises tomorrow.

"Stop it!" It was a firm, growl into my ear.

"Stop what?" The lump in my throat formed, but I bit back the tears. No way in hell I was going to let this guy make me cry.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," He gave my arm a hard squeeze to show how strong he was. I gasped in pain. "Stop what you're doing, now!"

Dimitri released me and I stumbled to the ground. "Now finish your push ups, Ms. Hathaway."

Stan looked smug. I wanted to slap him.

After my push ups, I got back into the water and refused to make eye contact with Dimitri.

"Alright your first test is treading water." He informed me. I completed it quickly. The minimum amount of time was 15 minutes, I did 20.

Treading water may sound like an easy task to finish but it's not. The first five or so minutes are a piece of cake. After that, the muscles in your legs and arms begin to burn incredibly.

I aced the 300 meter swim. I kept reminding myself to take slow steady breaths, I didn't want to have and asthma attack in the middle of the creek.

The only thing I had a problem with was the under water test. As Dimitri informed me of this, panic and fear crossed his face. Maybe he did care about me.

He didn't say anything or stop me; if he did…my secret would be revealed to the other hierarchies'. They wouldn't take me having asthma lightly; I'd most likely be punished and kicked out of St. Augustine's permanently.

It took me four attempts to finally pass it. I held my breath under water for a minute and twenty seconds. In order to pass, I had to get a minute and fifteen seconds.

I was pretty proud of myself. I had severe asthma but the other cadets had no clue. Yeah, I was that good.

* * *

I'd had to get down on my knees and beg, but Dimitri finally—and very reluctantly—broke down and allowed the seniors to have some fun out by the water and enjoy ourselves.

"Chicken fight!" I roared.

Lissa's eyes went wide with terror. "No."

"Chicken fight, chicken fight, chicken fight, chicken fight!" I chanted, eventually getting the attention of every cadet. They all joined in and began chanting along. The woods echoed loudly with a deep hum.

Lissa blushed. I'm guessing she didn't like to be the center of attention. "Fine! I'll do it!" she yelled.

The crowed roared with high-pitched whistles, hoots, and a call of _'Yeahs!'_

I climbed on top of Mason's shoulders while Lissa climbed onto Christians.

"Hey just think, if one of us breaks a leg," I shouted. "We'll be fine because we have a nurse on site! Whoo hoo!"

The crowd screamed along. Dimitri shook his head and smiled. I was corrupting his well behaved students. Hell, I was corrupting the entire school.

Lissa looked horrified. "Please don't break my leg, Rose."

"Can't make any promises." I shrugged.

And then I lunged for her.

I won all three matches against Lissa. Knocking her time after time into the water with a big splash. I was brutal and didn't show mercy for my best friend. I think I even planted a few bruises across her petite body. Oops.

"Sorry Liss," I grinned evilly.

She playfully glared at me and stomped off towards her tent, Christian in tow. I guess she'd had enough.

"Anyone else?" I screamed, swinging my arms in the air.

They all looked away. Even the men. Was I really that rough? It was just a Chicken fight.

Around lunch time, Dimitri and Tasha dragged a cooler back to the creek. They made a fire on the ground and began frying up hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone. I inhaled two of each.

All of the cadets had a great time lounging in and out of the water all day. I was pleased with my new golden tan. Mason even got a little color.

Once the sun began setting, Dimitri ordered us back to the camping grounds. With a lot of groans and protests, all the students began shuffling towards their tents to get dressed for dinner.

**

* * *

**

I was heading back to my tent for the night; most of the other students were already nice and tucked into their warm sleeping bags.

"Hey, Rose," I turned around to see Dimitri striding towards me.

I smiled and shoved my hands into the pockets of my sweat shirt. "What's up, Dimitri?"

"May I speak with you for a moment?" His voice was warm and fond.

"You may." He led me over to the giant oak tree. We stood behind it, blocked from the view of passing students.

"I just wanted to inform you," Dimitri had a proud smile etched on his face, his tone full of respect. "You've earned the respective title as Cadet of the month for displaying good conduct and honorary skills."

He handed me a small golden pin, engraved on the front was the old St. Augustine himself.

"No way!" I said in disbelief.

He nodded, his grin got wider. I could tell he was excited too.

"Shut up!" I squealed.

Dimitri shook his head. The tone of his voice playful. "No, I will not shut up."

"I can't believe this," I clapped my hands together. "How?"

"How what?"

"How did I become Cadet of the month? That's a pretty big honor."

"It is an honor," he agreed. "I spoke with Stan and Alberta and they believed you deserve it for your hard work and commitment to this school."

I bit my lip. "Do you think I deserve it?"

His face suddenly became serious and wary. "Absolutely."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" I jumped up and down as I said it.

Unthinking, I went to give him a hug.

Dimitri held me at arms leg. "Don't," he warned.

"What? Why?...What's wrong with you?"

He didn't answer and just stared at me. The expression on his face was blank and neutral; he did that looking without looking, as if I weren't there at all.

The hell with that, I will not be ignored.

"You know, Dimitri? Sometimes I just don't get you," I threw my hands up in exasperation. All of my emotions that I'd kept bottled up the past month came flying out.

"One second you're hot, one second you're cold. At times you act as if you like me, and I know you do, I can see it in your eyes."

I pulled out my inhaler and took a couple of hits; I figured I'd be needing it.

"Why won't you put your guard down for just a minute? Just one minute," I breathed. I had unconsciously taken a few steps forward until I was directly in front of him again. The scent of his warm body flooded my senses. "Let me in, Dimitri…let what's suppose to happen _happen_."

I grabbed a fistful of his shirt in my desperate hands. "I know you want me."

Those deep liquid pools of chocolate reached out and spilled into my soul. I was drowning in the deep depths of his bottomless eyes and for a moment I just wanted to sink and fall into the intoxication of desire.

"No," his voice was hoarse and rough, like sandpaper rubbing against wood.

"No what?" I asked.

"No," he repeated more firmly this time. "This is wrong."

"To the outside world, maybe…but to us, it feels right. _So right._"

"No." Dimitri shook his head, like he trying to see past fog. Something was blocking his vision and his thoughts; I knew exactly what that thing was. _Me._

"You are delusional. There is nothing going on between us…there never will be. Don't let your fantasy get to your head."

"Delusional?" I laughed, but it held no humor. "You think I'm delusional?"

"From what you have been saying and what you have been doing," He nodded. "Yes."

I felt tears sting my eyes and I fought desperately to keep them back.

"Set your mind straight, Rose, there is nothing…absolutely nothing, going on between us. I'm seven years older than you, an adult, and you're a child." he took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. "Do you understand that?"

A few tears leaked out of my eye. A lone tear made a long journey down my cheek, to my chin, and finally fell to my chest where it traveled the line down my cleavage. Dimitris' dark eyes followed it until it disappeared inside of my shirt. My body shivered.

And then I remembered what he had just said. My heart ached a little from his words. Did he really not feeling anything towards me? Was I just some stupid teenage girl that actually believed an out-of-league guy liked her back? Was I so naïve to actually believe Dimitri returned those feelings?

What about the looks he gave me? What about what happened in my tent earlier? The way he touched me wasn't exactly the way a student/teacher should be touching.

I knew there was more to it.

But if Dimitri wanted it his way, then so be it. I wasn't going to be some clingy obsessed girl that got down on her knees and begged desperately for the guy to be with her, so to speak.

I wiped away my tears, squared my shoulders, and held my head up high. There was no way I was going to break down and let Dimitri see me as a weak person. I was strong. And I had to prove that to him.

"Do you understand?" he repeated, his voice held no trace of emotion. It was blank as a piece of paper.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, Dimitri, I understand that it was inappropriate for me act in such ways and I assure you it will not happen again. _Ever_." Despite what I was feeling on the inside, my voice sound sure and strong of itself. Bully for me.

"No, I didn't need your explanation of what you did wrong," Dimitri said harshly. "I meant for you to correct the way you addressed me."

"Seriously?"

"I mean exactly what I say, Ms. Hathaway," he replied. "Now I'll ask this one more time: Do you understand?"

"Yes, General Belikov. I understand."

"Good," he said sharply. "That is the way you are to address me in the future."

I felt my mood drop even lower. I nodded. "Understood, sir."

Dimitri glanced at the black watch placed on his left wrist. "It's time for all cadets to report back to their tents, I will see you in the morning. Good night."

I hated the tone of his voice; this was exactly the way he spoke to other cadets. The way he used to talk to me was different and held some emotion, almost as if he had a soft spot for me.

But now, I was just another cadet. Another problem for him to deal with.

I looked him straight in the eye and spoke. "I promise you will regret this."

And then I turned and walked away, feeling his angry gaze burning holes into my back.


	6. Chapter 6: Jealousy is a disease

"Hey, Little Cadet," My pain in the ass sat down beside me at our usual table in the cafeteria. Or as everyone else calls it: The Mess Hall. I liked cafeteria better.

"Why is he here?" I groaned, chucking the half-eaten hot-dog onto my tray. Lissa looked pleased that Adrian was here, shooting me a meaningful look. She was actually hinting I should give the douche bag a chance.

"I don't think so," I snorted.

Christian looked…well, like Christian. Bored and uncaring.

"I see you've been eating hot-dogs _a lot _lately, Little Cadet," Adrian pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Do you have a particular fascination with wieners' and sausages?"

"Lord Ivashkov!" Alberta spoke in a hushed tone. She stomped up and ripped the blazing cigarette right out of his mouth. "You may be one of the twelve founding families. But it does not give you the right to go prancing around like a Royal pig!"

"I was going to say Royal snob. But I like pig better." I said. Christian nodded his head in agreement.

Alberta pinched the red cherry between her thumb and forefinger. The smoke died out.

"Thank you, Ma'am," I smiled. "For both insulting Adrian and putting out his cancer."

"Listen here, Lord Ivashkov," Alberta's palms were flat against the table. Her face only inches from Adrian's. "I am done playing Ms. Nice Guy. You are a student at St. Augustine's and you will act like it. No more doing what ever the hell you please. Get your shit together."

And then she was gone. Just like that.

"You know what I don't get?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Lissa said absentmindedly.

"How come the teachers can swear? But the students get severely punished is they do."

"Because they're bad asses," Christian said.

Lissa offered a more logical response. "Because it is a show of dominance. Hierarchies want their students to know who is in charge."

"And they want us to know they could do whatever the fuck they want. After all, we're just a bunch of screwed up teenagers." Adrian added.

Christian, Lissa, and I, all eyed him strangely.

"Well Lissa and I aren't the screwed up teenagers," He explained hastily.

"Lissa's actually pretty smart, she went to medical school. And myself, I'm just a wealthy young man studying Liberal sciences in a military college. So it's you two," Adrian pointed at Christian and I, "That are the screw ups here."

"You may not be a teenager, Adrian. But you're still a screw up." I said. Christian snickered.

"You still haven't answered my question about wieners and sausages, Little Cadet." Adrian pointed out.

"Give it a rest." I murmured.

"Maybe if we ignore him and pretend like he's not there, he'll go away." Christian said.

"One can only hope," I said. "Shh, don't talk to him. He'll catch the hint eventually."

"Be nice, Rose!" Lissa scolded.

"I haven't caught anything yet, Little Cadet. Though, I would love to." Adrian winked. "Why are you being so mean to me anyways? I bring _a lot_ to this table."

"Like what?" I snorted.

"Like my dashing good looks. My rock hard bod. My dazzling smile. My charm. My sense of humor. My unique style. The list is endless, really. Would you like me to continue?"

I shook my head. "You know what, Adrian?"

"Hmm?"

"I die a little inside every time I talk to you."

"Well, you're still talking to me," he smirked. "So that's an improvement in our relationship, right?"

I groaned.

"Perhaps you even think about me when you're taking a shower. Or maybe I am the lover that invades your dreams—"

"Hey, Rose," Something touched my shoulder. I recognized that sweet voice immediately.

"Oh, my, God, Mase…" I jumped up and pulled him into a fierce hug. "You saved me! You saved me!"

"From what?" he looked around.

I pointed a shaky, dramatic finger at Adrian. "The lollipop rapist that prowls on young girls."

"Of course you'd be thinking about my lollipop." He winked. It was so hard to insult someone when that person took everything you said as a compliment.

"Ready for drill class?" Mason asked.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," I smoothed down my uniform. "Bye, Liss! Bye, Hot stuff!"

"Bye Rose," Adrian waved.

"You're not Hot stuff, Christian is hot stuff." I glared.

"Bye, Rose," Lissa chuckled. Christian gave a half-assed nod.

I grabbed Mason's arm and headed for the doors.

"Hey, Little Cadet!" Adrian stood there, waving a red tray in the air.

"Don't worry. I'll clean up your mess!" he called out. "Where's my thank you?"

"I apologize for my lack of gratitude," I smiled sweetly and flipped him off.

Mason opened the door for me like a gentleman and I stepped out into the hallway. Right before the doors slammed shut, I heard Adrian yell. "I take what I can get."

Was this guy ever going to quit?

We stepped inside the school gym. My skin rose in goose bumps from the icy air. Why did they always keep gyms so cold?

"Here you go, Hathaway," Mason tossed me a gun. "Nice catch."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"So, uh," Mason was seated beside me on the hard wood floor, polishing off his gun with a yellow rag. "You and that Ivashkov kid….you two a thing?"

I stared at him for a moment in silence before a giggle escaped my lips. That giggle soon turned into a laugh, and that laugh turned into full blown hysterics. Mason simply stared at me.

My stomach hurt and tears were rolling down my face from laughing so hard. I caught my breath for a second. "Are you serious?"

Mason bobbed his head up and down, face solemn. "Yes."

This sent me into a whole new round of hysterics.

"Would you care to share the joke, Ms. Hathaway?" I looked up. Dimitri stood there, staring at me, arms crossed.

My mood instantly soured. Goodbye smiles, giggles, and uncontrollable laughter.

"Sure, why not?" I stood up and smoothed down my skirt, an annoying habit of mine.

Dimitri waited expectantly. He wore his usual uniform: leather combat boots, army pants, and—oh god—a tight black V neck. It showed three inches of pure muscled chest that was begging to be touched.

"Well what's the joke, Ms. Hathaway? It was obviously funny enough to get the attention of all your fellow cadets." His voice was mocking. I hated it. Dimitri was always able to make me feel completely stupid and young with that tone.

"Ashford, here," I jabbed a thumb in Mason's direction. "Was just wondering if I'd been having crazy, wild, unadulterated sex with Adrian Ivashkov."

Mason's mouth dropped open. He didn't favor me getting him in trouble all of the time. Especially at the wrath of General Belikov.

I didn't miss Dimitri's eyes widening in surprise. He played it cool by cocking an eyebrow. "And what was your answer to Mr. Ashford's question?"

"Not all the time," I shook my head. "Just on the weekends. As long as Ivashkov is out of my bed before noon, then I'm okay with having a little lovin'." I finished with a wink.

Dimitri shook his head, disapproval clear in his face. He muttered something in Russian before insulting me. "You make yourself look cheap."

I waited until he turned around to flip him off.

"I wouldn't do that, Ms. Hathaway," Dimitri said, flipping absentmindedly through papers on his clipboard. "I have eyes in the back of my head."

"Shit." Dimitri may not have eyes in the back of his head. But there were giant mirrors aligned on the wall, giving him a perfect view of what I was doing. Damn it, I'd forgotten about those.

I went back to polishing my gun, scooping up what little dignity I had left.

Stan instructed all Cadets to get in formation. I stood on the left side of the gym with all other female students. Meredith—who was three girls ahead of me in our row—smiled and waved. I returned the gesture, just not as enthusiastically as she had.

Meredith had been helping me perfect my routine the past two months, and although she was nowhere close to Lissa's position in my circle of friends, she still was a really nice person and I enjoyed her dry sense of humor. Plus she kicked major ass in Jiu jitsu.

Alberta clapped her hands together and barked out orders. I already knew the routine by heart so I mostly tuned her out.

Like always, Drill team was a blur. Lots of counting, marching, and crafty turns with our guns. It was fun. The only thing that frustrated me is when I'd get yelled at for not holding my gun properly. I'd have to start the routine all over again. The other female cadets were required to join me. It was part of the academy rules. A form of punishment. If one cadet fails, the others do too. All for one, and one for all.

"Ready to head out, Mase?" I chucked him an ice cold bottle of water. I gulped down my own.

"Yeah," he patted the perspiration from his forehead with a towel draped over his shoulder.

I grabbed my gym bag and began shuffling towards the door, muscles screaming at me with every step.

"Hey, are you going to the party tonight?"

"Hmm? What party?" I was intrigued, and he knew that.

"It's Halloween; there are always parties here around this time of year. Especially tonight." he informed.

"Really?" I grinned widely. "Parties here? Won't we get in trouble?"

"No if we follow by the rules."

"What rules?"

"All cadets must be back by curfew, absolutely no alcohol, and no music."

I groaned. My mood was like a deflated balloon. "And there goes the fun."

Mason shrugged. "It beats sitting around in your room all night doing nothing, doesn't it?"

"I suppose." I walked to class, shoulders slumped.

"So you're coming?" The smile lit up his face, his excitement was contagious.

"Maybe…" I grinned. "Do I have to dress up?"

He nodded eagerly. "Of course, it's Halloween."

"Where am I supposed to be?"

"Eddies place, 8 o' clock." he answered. "I'll come by your dorm to get you."

"Okay, sounds good."

"I'll see you later, Hathaway," Mason shot me with his thumb and forefinger.

I laughed and opened up my locker. I grabbed my chemistry and liberal arts text books.

"Oh, and one more thing, Hathaway!" Mason yelled from down the hall, hands cupped over his mouth, forming a perfect O. "You're not really having crazy monkey sex with Ivashkov, are you?"

I laughed. "Why, you jealous?"

"No," he said a little too quickly and defensively.

"Oh. My. Effing. God," I shook my head in disbelief. "You're jealous!"

"Am not," Mason objected.

"You are _soooo_ jealous! Admit it." I placed my hands over hips.

"Answer my question." he said. "Are you having crazy monkey sex with Adrian?"

I grinned. "No. Not in a million, billion years."

Mason nodded and looked to the ground, the faintest smile on his lips. "Good."

* * *

Since I'd forgotten it was Halloween, I had no time to obtain a real costume. So I did the best I could do in the situation, I made my own. With a little help from my best friend, I pulled together this little number.

I looked in the mirror, the reflection staring back made me giggle.

I wore skin-tight black leather pants, combat boots, a black tang top, and a black leather jacket. I curled my waist-length hair into spiral curls, covered it in silver glitter, and pulled it back with small kitten ears—courtesy of Lissa. I quickly drew three cat whiskers on each cheek with black eye-liner

I turned around. Lissa and Christian sat on my bed, waiting patiently for me to be done.

"Wow," Christian snorted. "You look like a reject from a bad 80's porno flick."

"Funny," I said. "That is exactly what I was going for."

"You look great, Rose," Lissa smiled.

"Don't lie to her, babe," Christian said. "She looks like a two dollar hooker and you know it."

"At least I put some effort into my outfit." I said.

Christian was wearing all black, with plastic fangs and fake blood dripping from the edges of his mouth to the bottom of his neck.

"Vampires are in," he shrugged. "Plus I wore these teeth for my honey. She thinks it's sexy. Don't ya, babe?"

Lissa giggled and nodded. She was dressed in a cute little pink fairy costume that put my outfit to shame. Her gold hair was straightened to perfection. Giant lavender wings and gold glitter completed the look.

Christian raked his vampire teeth across the skin of her collar bone. She laughed. "Stop it, Christian! That tickles."

He pulled back and smiled, one that made him look edgy and dark and dangerous. "You love when I bite you."

"Eww, keep it in your pants until you get out of my room!"

I heard a light knock at my door. Saved by the bell. "Coming!"

I flung open the door.

"You're not Mason." I stated.

"Wow, Little Cadet," Adrian let out a wolf whistle. "I've already ordered a Chinese girl, but I suppose you'll do."

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

"Whatever you want it to mean." he winked. I sighed.

"Turn around so I can get the full affect," Adrian rolled his finger.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Why not?" he pouted.

"Because you repulse me," I answered. "What the hell are you supposed to be anyway?"

Adrian wore dark jeans, a pale blue button up shirt, and black Nikes. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Ethan," He pointed to a small name tag on the left side of his chest.

"The cafeteria guy?"

Adrian nodded. "I didn't have enough time to get a Halloween costume, so I did the best I could with what I had. Creative, huh?"

"No," I snorted. "You're not even wearing his apron or chef hat."

"That's because I'm Ethan-after-dark." He grinned.

I shook my head and decided to ignore him. "Lissa, Christian? Ready to go?"

"Aren't we supposed to wait for Mason?" she asked. The two walked out hand in hand.

"Naw," I said. "He'll find us at the party. Let's go."

We were about half way there when I felt something cool touch my fingertips. I glanced down to see that Adrian had placed a silver flask into my palm.

"What is this for?" I asked.

Adrian smirked at me. "Happy Halloween?" It came out as a question.

"Happy Halloween, indeed." I unscrewed the cap and took four big sips. The liquid felt like acid dripping down my throat.

"What the fuck is this shit?" I whisper yelled. Lissa and Christian were about ten feet ahead of us, off in there own little world of cupcakes and rainbows, completely oblivious to Adrian and me.

"Russian Vodka," The smirk never faltered. "Got a kick to it, doesn't it?"

"Definitely," I coughed.

"Drink some more, it will help you loosen up a bit."

"That's exactly what I need," I brought the metal to my lips again. My cheeks instantly flushed with heat.

"Put it down, put it down," Adrian whispered tightly.

"What?"

"Russian at 12 o' clock,"

"Huh?" I asked stupidly.

"Russian is coming this way," he said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, shit," I quickly shoved the flask into the pocket of my jacket.

Adrian draped a lazy arm around my shoulder. I tried to shrug him off, but his grip tightened, pulling me into his body.

I couldn't help but notice how warm he felt against me. His skin smelled like expensive cologne—clean and crisp and musky.

"Just play it cool until he passes," he whispered into my ear. "Don't draw attention."

I felt like I was trying to get through airport security.

Lissa waved sweetly at Dimitri. He smiled and nodded back. Approximately two seconds later—ugh—Tasha came to stand beside him. I guess they'd been taking an evening stroll together. They weren't patrolling—hierarchies got holidays off, much like their students.

I bit the jealous green monsters head off. It was getting out of hand.

Tasha was wearing simple blue jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. Simple. Plain. Nothing fancy. But she still looked beautiful.

She smiled and stopped to greet her nephew. Tasha pulled both Lissa and Christian into a fierce hug, shiny raven black hair bouncing with her bubbly movements.

"Walk really slowly," I instructed, "I don't wanna talk to either of them."

"You have beef with the General and Tasha?" Adrian asked curiously.

"No, I'm fine with…._Tasha_," I spat her name like it was a dirty word.

"You're jealous of her," he chuckled. "Why?"

"I'm not jealous," I snapped, "She's just smart, and nice, and…."

"Beautiful?...Hot?...Gorgeous?...Sexy?...Fuckable?" he offered.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, all of those."

"What's your problem with the Russian?"

I sighed tiredly. "There's too many of them. I don't want to talk about it."

Adrian studied my face thoroughly. He looked strange, puzzled, and confused.

And then the light seemed to go off in his eyes, like a light-bulb. A slow, mischievous smile spread across his face.

"What?" I was defensive.

"Nothing," Adrian shook his head, that shit-eating grin got wider.

Dimitri's head snapped over, glancing at us for the very first time. His dark eyes narrowed slightly when he focused in on Adrian's arm around me.

I fought the urge to smile.

Dimitri was jealous.

"Good evening, Sir," Adrian nodded towards Dimitri and Tasha. "Ms. Ozera."

"Lord Ivashkov," Tasha smiled sweetly. Dimitri simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"Wow, Rose," Tasha chuckled. "You look…_different_."

"Thanks," My tone was sharp and bitter, even I noticed that.

Dimitri's eyes traveled over my body at a painfully slow rate. He visibly gulped and met my eyes. They were cold and hard. "Are you following dress code?"

I shrugged. "Don't know, don't care."

"You should, because I can give you a detention slip," he threatened.

That bastard was challenging me. I shot him a death glare.

Who gives a damn if he was 6'7, outweighed me considerably, and was currently wearing a really cool brown duster—I could still take him. I hoped.

"Female and male interactions are prohibited," Dimitri stared at Adrian, "You are in the college campus, Lord Ivashkov. I hoped you'd respect the rules of our High-school, especially when the issue involves underage girls."

"Look who is talking," Adrian muttered.

"What did you say?" A blaze of anger shot through Dimitri's words.

"Just let it go, Dimka," Tasha spoke softly, touching his forearm. I wanted to break her fingers right off. "They're kids. It's Halloween. Let them have some fun and enjoy themselves. It's their night off…."

Dimitri stared at me for a moment longer. He could practically freeze me solid with his cold gaze. But finally, and very reluctantly, he nodded. "Fine."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Dimitri and Tasha walked spoke their goodbyes and left.

"That was a close call," Lissa chuckled.

"You can say that again." I muttered.

* * *

Christian banged on Eddies door loudly. He opened it a moment later, clad in a police officers uniform. I laughed.

"Is Mase here yet?" Lissa asked.

"No," Eddie said. "He went looking for Rose about five minutes ago. He said he couldn't find you."

"Oh well, he'll find us here eventually," Christian shrugged.

"Now let's get this party going!" I fist pumped. My upbeat mood quickly vanished as I stepped inside the room.

Monopoly was sprawled out on the ground, untouched and ready to be played. A horror movie played on his small television set. Bags of popcorn and a few soft drinks lay neatly on the bed.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"What do you mean? You are the party guests." Eddie held up his hands. "I also have Yatzee if you guys would like to play that as well."

"Oh, goodie!" Adrian feigned excitement. "Yatzee, too! Did you hear that, Rose? This night just keeps getting better."

It was about 25 minutes later—in the midst of an intense Battleship round with Mason—when I thought I'd die of boredom. Is this really what cadets considered a fun party?

"Let's sneak out," Adrian leaned over, whispering in my ear. He handed me the silver flask. I sneakily took a few sips without allowing anyone to see.

"Really?" I grinned.

"I have a couple of stashed bottles in my room—"

"Let's go," I was up and standing in the blink of an eye.

I swayed slightly from the sudden movement. That's when I realized I must have drunken a little more vodka than I originally thought.

"Where are you two going?" Mason asked suspiciously.

"I'm not feeling very well," I searched for an appropriate response. "And…Adrian is going to take me home."

Well that was genius.

Lissa's jade green eyes flickered down to our intertwined hands. She smiled deviously. "Okay you two, good night." She winked at me.

Great, my best friend thought I was hooking up with Adrian. Hell, she didn't think it…she was encouraging it.

I sighed and decided to let it go. "Night, guys! See you tomorrow at class."

Eddie looked sad. Mason looked angry. Lissa looked smug. And Christian looked bored.

I didn't blame him.

I tugged on Adrian's hand and pulled him into the hallway. Once the door clicked shut, I jumped up and down.

"You're a lifesaver!" I exclaimed. "I thought I was going to die in there…"

"Me too," he grinned. "Come on, I'll show you to _mi casa_, Little Cadet."

We had to do some sneaking around and duck behind a few bushes, but five minutes later, we arrived at the male campus in front of room number B777.

"Cool room number," I said. "Did you have to pay for that?"

Adrian groped his pocket and pulled out a key. He slipped it into the door and turned. The oak wood slid open silently. "No, my parents did."

I brought the flask to my lips.

"It's empty," I pouted.

"Damn, Little Cadet," Emerald green eyes widened. "You drank all of that by yourself?"

"Hey," I poked his chest. "You had a sip too."

"Very well," Adrian motioned me inside. "Welcome to my home."

The air smelled of cloves and his cologne. It was a strange combination, yet I'd become familiar with it and found it somewhat comforting.

His dorm was much bigger than my own. The place was every bit as fancy and flashy as Adrian was. A flat screen plasma T.V. hung on the wall, fancy oil paintings in the small kitchen, expensive-looking black leather couches, and the coffee table was a built in aquarium tank—packed with exotic, colorful fish.

"Wow," I breathed.

"You like it?" Adrian was in the kitchen, filling two glasses with tequila.

"Do I like it?" I scoffed. "I love it. This must have cost you a fortune."

He shrugged. "My parents don't mind."

"Rich people," I scowled.

"Not all rich people are bad," he smiled, handing me one of the glasses. He took a sip of his own.

"You prove that all rich people are snobs," I said.

"And why is that?" Adrian sat down on the couch and patted the seat beside him.

"Because you don't give a damn what you have to do, or who you have to hurt in order to get what you want," I sat down, careful not to make bodily contact. "That's how you spoiled brats work."

"That's what you think of me?" His voice was warm and pleasant—much like it always was—but it held a tinge of hurt.

"You really want me to answer that?"

Adrian nodded.

"Yes," I said truthfully. "I think you're a rich, spoiled pig."

He barked out a laugh, it was harsh and rough—humorless. "I respect your opinion, I do, Rose. But you have no clue who I am. So you shouldn't be judging."

I shrugged, taking a sip of tequila. "Perhaps, I shouldn't. But I can't help it; I'm a narrow minded bitch."

Adrian grinned. "Perhaps, you should get to know me first."

"Alright, shoot," Another drink of alcohol. I could feel myself relaxing tremendously, and it was wonderful. "Tell me something about yourself."

"Like what?"

"Anything,"

"Okay," he crossed his legs, elegantly. "My family founded this school."

"Is that why they call you Lord Ivashkov?"

Adrian nodded. "Yes, that is why. And you can thank my great, great grandpa Augustine Ivashkov for that."

"You mean your great, great grandpa was St. Augustine?"

He nodded.

"_The _St. Augustine?"

"One and only," Adrian uttered.

"Wow, that's cool." I licked my cup clean of liquid.

"Want some more?" Adrian chuckled.

"Yeah," I handed him my cup. He reached down and retrieved the half-empty bottle and filled it to the rim.

"Thanks," I slurped some tequila down to keep it from spilling on me.

"So tell me something else,"

"This is my third year as a freshman in college."

"You mean you can't pass?" I laughed. "That would suck having to go three times."

"My mother and father are furious at me," He said. "$500,000 in tuition down the drain. Unless I can pass this year—which I find highly doubtful—they're going to have to pay an additional $150,000."

"Why don't you just pass? It'd be easier." I snorted.

Adrian shrugged. "It pisses off my parents—which is a plus. Besides, have you done the trial tests at the end of the year? It's a bitch. Practically impossible."

"So you're saying that you can pass academically, but not physically?" I asked.

"If you want to put it that way," he said. "Then, yeah. I can't."

I giggled. "I bet that makes you feel like a man."

Adrian grinned.

**

* * *

**

I don't know what happened—or why Adrian would let me anywhere near his stash of hard alcohol—but I somehow ended up dancing on his aquarium coffee table and cracking the glass down the middle.

"Oh, shit," Was the only words I got out before the table busted like the walls of a dam. My feet were pulled out from under me as the water flowed by, carrying me away.

My body slammed into a nearby wall with a loud thud.

"Fuck," I groaned in pain. I was soaked head to toe in water.

"Not Nemo and Dory!" Adrian shouted. I watched in a drunken haze as he franticly darted back and forth, like a pinball game.

He grabbed fish after fish carefully—and hurriedly—as possible. Once he had all the fish safely in his bathtub, he took a deep breath and sat on the toilet.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, staring down at the fish. The danced around happily in the water, bobbing their little heads at the surface for food.

Adrian fed them some fish flakes.

"You killed, Blue," he whispered.

"It was fish, Adrian. Get over it."

"_She_ was my favorite, and you stepped on her with your combat boots."

I wrapped my arms around his body and hugged him tightly. He rested his head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, really. I'll buy you a new fish, if you'd like."

Adrian shook his head and smiled. "No, it's okay. I still have my other buddies."

He pulled away and poked his finger in the tub. Two gold fish swam up and sucked on his finger. I giggled. "They like you,"

"They _love_ me," He corrected, standing up. "Let's go check the damage, shall we?"

I grabbed his extended hand and nodded. "Let's go,"

**

* * *

**

Adrian had to make an emergency appointment with the cleaning crew. Carpenters were scheduled to replace his entire living room with plush, brand new carpet tomorrow morning. But for now, the best we could do was cover the drenched area with a million towels.

"I'm sorry," I apologized for the billionth time tonight.

"Little Cadet," Adrian threw his hands up in exasperation. "Stop apologizing, everything is going to be okay!"

My shoulders slumped and I looked down. "Yeah, I know. But I murdered Blue and nothing is going to bring her back."

He brushed a kiss to my forward, and surprisingly, I didn't pull away. Maybe it was the alcohol pumping through my system. Maybe.

"Blue is in a better place now, don't worry." He traced his long fingers across my cheekbone. I leaned in to savor the touch.

"Now, come on," Adrian said.

"Where?"

"To have fun,"

"After all of this?" I gestured around his dorm.

"Of course," he said. "The night it still young and we have plenty of alcohol."

Adrian smiled as he flashed the bottle of Russian Vodka.

"Purr-fect," I grinned deviously, "Let's do this!"

* * *

Have you ever been so drunk that you really had no clue what in the hell you were doing? You were just doing it because it seemed fun and the right thing to do. A part of your brain is screaming you were going to regret it in the morning. Yet, you ignore that rational part and focus on the stupid task ahead.

Well maybe you haven't been in that situation before, but I have. I was in it right now.

My genius idea was to take my bathroom door—the one that I'd earned back from Dimitri—and use it as a sled to slide down the stairs of the college dorm building.

After Adrian had unscrewed my door from the hinges, I had him carry it all the way to the top floor. He had informed me this was the most logical thing to do, considering the top floor was vacant and we'd most likely not get busted.

"I wanna go first!" I screamed.

Adrian positioned our makeshift sled at the top of the stairs at a peculiar angel. I hopped on and he gave it a hard push.

I never thought it would go that fast. The sled jerked and bounced in all different directions as it went all the way down the flight of steps. I slammed into the door of an empty college dorm and yelped in pain.

Adrian practically pissed himself laughing and I joined in.

We took our turns on the sled, zooming down the stairs and flying into that same damn door, time after time. Adrian hauled the piece of furniture up at least 50 times.

You'd think we'd get bored after doing the same thing over and over again, but no, it only seemed to get funnier and more entertaining. My stomach ached from how much I'd laughed tonight.

"Alright, alright!" I gasped for oxygen. "Just one more time, I swear!"

"Fine," Adrian busted out laughing for no apparent reason. I joined him. Nothing like having a good, drunken laugh.

I sat down on the hard sled; Adrian gave me a good shove. My whole body bounced up and down as I flew down the stairs.

_Wham._

I heard a loud, cracking noise. I glanced up see that the door had splintered down the middle. Shards of wood fell into my hair and spread out around me.

"You broke the door!" Adrian howled.

I picked it up, "Just leave it there, Little Cadet."

I shrugged. "Have it your way, let's go back to my room"

Adrian's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Shh," I placed a finger to his lips. "No talky, talky."

I laced my fingers through his and began walking towards the high-school campus.

The wind whipped around me. I shivered. I felt something warm and soft touch my shoulders. Adrian's wool coat. I looked up at him. He gazed at me and smiled.

I'd lost my combat boots along time ago—I honestly had no clue why or where—so I walked bare feet across the cool, damp grass. The moon hung above us like a chunky pendant, casting an eerie glow.

"How long until we're there?" I whined. I'd started out by leading the way, but now I was lost and had no clue where to go.

Luckily, he seemed a little less intoxicated than I was. We passed a few doors and hallways. Merely seconds later, I was staring at the bold black numbers of room E4301. My room.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the brass key. The door knob swayed to the left and right.

"Funny," I said. "It wasn't moving just two seconds ago."

"Hey, Bert," Adrian said. "How's it going?"

"Who's, Bert?" My face scrunched up.

"The graveyard Janitor, he's pretty cool."

The chubby man with black hair and a gray mustache grumbled in response, and rolled his cart away without another look our way. Rude.

"He doesn't seem very nice," I slurred.

I tried to shove the key into the lock four more times unsuccessfully. Adrian grew impatient and did it himself.

He rested on my bed, eyes closed, and hands behind his head.

I straddled his waist.

His emerald green eyes shot open in shock and surprise. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I kissed his neck.

"No, I know what you're doing," Adrian's voice was husky. "But why?"

"Because I fucking want to," I said. "I'm doing being good, I'm done being responsible. I want to have fun, be a teenager. I want _you_."

I smashed my lips to his forcefully. His mouth was soft and warm like honey.

The kiss was hot and feverish and filled with lust. I pulled back to take off my shirt.

Adrian's expression was dark and hungry. His breathing ragged. "No,"

"No what?" I licked the edges of his mouth. He moaned.

"No," He pushed me away. "I will not take advantage of you."

"You're not," I pouted. "I'm a willing participant."

"You're drunk,"

I ripped open the few buttons of his shirt and kissed the warm skin I exposed.

"No," Adrian held me at arms length. "If you still want me tomorrow—when you're sober—then we could do this all night."

"You don't think I'm pretty?" Tears burned my eyes. "You…you don't want me? Is it the age difference?"

Adrian looked alarmed. "No, it's not that at all. I-I want you so badly….it hurts me sometimes."

"Then have me," I climbed onto his lap. Adrian shook his head in protest but his warm, soft lips attached to my neck.

I moaned and grabbed a fistful of bronze hair, holding him there.

_Whoosh._

I felt a strong breeze come through my room. I looked up to see Dimitri towering down on us.

"Oh, fuck me sideways," I gaped.

"What is going on here?" He growled.

Lord have mercy. I was about to face the wrath of a very pissed off Russian.

Adrian and I sprung apart. "God damn you, Bert," he muttered.

"The janitor ratted us out?"

"Get the fuck out of here," Dimitri grabbed Adrian by the collar.

He picked him up by his shirt and threw him out into the hallway, as if he weighed nothing. Adrian landed on his ass.

He stood on his feet and stared at me.

"Go! I do not have much patience left," Dimitri snarled.

"Go, Adrian, now! I'll be fine, I promise."

Adrian spared me one last glance, before nodding, and walking away.

And that's when Dimitri turned back to me.

I paralyzed with fear.

I've never been truly afraid of dieing—not even when I was in the car accident with Jessie—but right now, staring into Dimitri's black eyes, I was terrified of Fate.

I wasn't afraid of him, per se, I was afraid of his control snapping and him doing something he might regret later.

"So…I give you your privacy back, and this is how you show me gratitude?"

I watched in horror—and a bit of fascination—as he lifted his long leg and kicked the edge of the door. He managed to break the screws, and rip the hinges straight from the wall in four blows. Dimitri picked it up, effortlessly.

"It's going to be awhile before you get this back."

And then he walked away, taking my privacy with him.


	7. Chapter 7: Watch your back

A/N: Hey guys!

Here is the next chapter, I hope you all like it! Thank you for all the amazing reviews, I'm happy you are enjoying this story as much as I love writing it.

This chapter is rated M. Not for anything sexual, but for gory/ violent references not all of you may want to read. You have been warned.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.**

* * *

Unsurprisingly, I awoke the next morning with a killer hangover. The sound of the blaring alarm made my head want to explode. I reached over and slammed the snooze button.

Giant blinding red letters stared at me. _5:48AM_

"The Russian's just gonna have to wait patiently." I muttered, shuffling towards my bathroom.

I honestly didn't care if I was late for morning practice or not. I was already in enough trouble to worry about something so unimportant.

The past month—since Dimitri and I had our little fight at the camping trip—it had become really tense between us. Not awkward, just tense. I really didn't know what I felt about how things were going between the two of us. A part of me was sad, I'd really came to like Dimitri—maybe even a tiny bit of love mixed in—since arriving at this Military Academy three months ago. While the other part of me—the overpowering part—was angry that I'd ever let myself feel the way I did for my instructor.

I'd spent countless night's awake contemplating where everything went wrong. When did I take the wrong turn? Did I do too much? Did I not do enough?

I eventually had to put my mind to rest and realize that I might have mixed my fantasies with realty. I was nearly 18, an adult, it was time for me to wake up and smell the coffee. I had feelings for Dimitri, beyond the shadow of a doubt, but I needed to realize those feelings were only one sided. Dimitri had made it clear how he felt about me.

After hanging a sheet as a make shift door for my bathroom, I hopped in and let the scorching water relax the kinks in my back. The steam helped clear my head and ease some of the aching pain from my hangover. Kind of.

I was scrubbing lavender shampoo into my hair when I felt it. A breeze. At first I'd blamed it on having no doors—a student rushing by my dorm in a hurry to get somewhere, and causing a passing wind. But I got that feeling someone was watching me, staring at me. I felt their presence—a powerful one— and I knew I wasn't alone.

I squinted to see beyond my shower door. The glass was designed to be see-through, yet blurry. That combined with the steam only allowed my eyes to make out a large, tall, looming shadow. The colors of it were olive-green and black.

"Dimitri!" I gasped.

Thank God, the shower door was foggy and blurred. It didn't cover everything, just the most private parts of my body. Still, it gave Dimitri a front row show of my skin.

And that's when he popped his head over the door—an easy task for him, considering his height. I screamed and blushed, frantically covering what little flesh I could with my arms and a tiny, pink bath poof. It didn't help very much.

"You're late for morning practice." he stated.

Ah, that is the Dimitri I know. Blunt and to the point. No dancing around the bush.

"And you're in my shower!"

"I'm not in your shower," he pointed out. "I'm standing outside of it."

"Yeah," I snorted, "But you're still getting the full view, so get the fuck out."

With outstanding self-control, Dimitri managed not to look down. His dark eyes remained trained on my face; however, it did seem difficult and strained. Dimitri was aching to peek down and get a glance of my birthday suit. I grinned.

"See something you like?"

"Lots."

"What?"

"What?"

"What did you say?" I asked, momentarily startled.

"I didn't say anything," Dimitri stared at me, like I'd grown a second head.

"Yes, you did," I protested, "I said, _'See something you like?_' and you replied, _'Lots.'_"

"No, I didn't." He regarded me with complete and utter seriousness. Dimitri actually believed he hadn't said anything.

Maybe he had accidentally blurted it out, thinking it was spoken in his mind. Three words: Oh. My. God.

"Ugh. You're the most frustrating man on the planet," I threw my hands up in exasperation—accidentally breaking what little coverage I had.

Dimitri's chocolate brown eyes widened, but they weren't looking at my face, they were staring straight at my bare chest.

I shrieked and crossed my arms, blushing furiously. "Get out, get out, get out!"

His eyes were a blazing fire, clouded over with undeniable lust and desire. My body flushed with heat and want and need. Damn him, damn him and the affect he had on my body and mind.

Dimitri didn't move from his spot.

"Get out, you cradle robber!" I picked up the bottle of shampoo and launched it at his head, Dimitri managed to duck just in time.

His head popped up again. He appeared to be out of the trance, considering he was looking straight at my face and not at my body.

That didn't stop me from throwing the conditioner bottle.

Dimitri, more prepared this time, caught it mid-air. He smiled, a predatory smile that made ice-cold chills burst throughout my body.

"Let's go, before I get angry." he slid open the shower door, leaned in and turned the running faucet off.

"My hair is still covered in shampoo," I whined, wrapping a plush white towel around my dripping flesh.

"Well, now your mirror is covered in it," he said dryly. "That wouldn't have happened if you weren't so damn impulsive all the time, and actually gave a thought to something before you acted."

Sure enough, my favorite lavender shampoo was splattered all over my bathroom mirror. Instead of hitting Dimitri like I'd wanted to, I ended up causing more trouble for myself. Great, just great.

Dimitri headed out to the field, making it clear that I was to be there in less than five minutes, or he would come back and drag me from my dorm.

I got dressed for morning practice—A royal purple t-shirt, black cotton shorts, and a pair of black Nikes.

My hangover hung above me like a depressing cloud, reminding me it was still indeed there with every step I took, every breath I inhaled.

I ripped a brush through my hair, moaning each time a sharp pain hit my skull, and ran out to meet my mortal enemy.

I saw my Russian Jailer out in the field, leaning against a cannon casually, arms crossed, staring right at me.

"Good morning, Ms. Hathaway," he greeted pleasantly.

"Good morning, General Belikov," I said cautiously, throwing my gym bag onto the lush green grass.

"Call me Dimitri." he corrected.

Yeah, something was definitely up.

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" he said flatly. "Nothing at all."

And then he lit the cannon. It exploded into the air.

My head felt like it exploded along with it. The pounding was excruciating. If the mother of all hangovers banged the father of all migraines, this is what their baby would feel like.

I clutched my aching head and looked up. Dimitri was standing there, staring at me with a satisfied smirk.

"You did this on purpose!" I pointed an accusing finger. "You bastard!"

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, sparking another cannon. "I'm simply testing the cannons, it's mandatory for our safety."

It got to the point where I was rolling around on the ground from pain. It felt like there was a 1,000 tiny needles being stabbed into my brain. He continued to light one after another, the sound of explosions surrounded me like a snug blanket.

"Please…stop." I begged.

"Rose, get up." I glanced up to see Dimitri hovering above me. Beautiful shoulder length brown hair worn down, framing his face.

"This angle gives me a wonderful view of your package." I grinned.

He shook his head and sighed exasperated. A smile twitched his full lips. "You're unbelievable."

"I'm not getting up," I declared.

"Yes," Dimitri grabbed my arms, firmly. "You are."

Unlike the last time when he'd ripped me up violently, he gently pulled me up from the ground and onto my feet. I wobbled dizzily, my head spun. Dimitri pulled me into his body; I leaned onto him for support.

"Don't vomit on me," he chuckled.

I shook my head. "No promises."

I couldn't help but notice how firm his muscles felt against my body as he pulled me over to a nearby bench. His skin was warm behind his uniform. Dimitri smelled amazing, like the air after it has rained, mixed with crisp and clean minty soap. Those scents mixed with his natural rich aroma was a unique combination, masculine, it fit him perfectly.

I sighed dreamily.

Dimitri's head snapped down, he gave me a strange look. "Is something wrong?"

"Like you care," I snorted.

I sat down on the bench. He took a seat beside me.

We sat in silence for a while, neither one of us willing to crack it. I could feel eyes on me. It was intense, powerful, intimidating.

"It's rude to stare, ya know," I said irritably.

"You actually think I don't care about you?" he asked.

"I don't _think_, I _know_." I said. "I'm just another Cadet to you, a problem. The only reason you decided to mentor me is so I wouldn't corrupt this school and jeopardize your big bad reputation. I'm just a number to you."

I had no idea why I was shouting out everything I was feeling on the inside. I guess it was bottled up emotions and frustrations erupting, like a volcano, oozing out bit by bit.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," his voice was like a knife that cut deep into my skin. "Don't tell me how I'm feeling."

I dropped my face into my hands and growled in annoyance. "Just shut up, Dimitri. I don't want to hear your voice right now. It's giving me a throbbing migraine." It wasn't a lie—I did have a terrible headache—it just wasn't the whole truth either. Some truth is better than none at all, right?

"Come on," he whispered, fingers brushing my thigh. "Let's go."

"Where?" I looked up at him.

"To my home," his voice was soft, careful, concerned.

Dimitri must have seen the surprise in my face because he was quick to explain. "I have something that will help with your hangover."

He stood up and so did I. Dimitri lead me towards the staff apartment complex.

"You have a lot of experience with hangovers, Comrade?" I teased.

"No," he shook his head, eyes trained on the path ahead. "I just made sure I was prepared for something disastrous like this to happen."

"And by disastrous…you're actually referring to me?"

He nodded.

"Well, at least you're being honest." I shrugged.

The apartment complex was clean and organized, nothing fancy, but it was nice. The edges were outlined with bushes and small trees, the grass cut sharp like an Army man's hair—I found that ironic. The hierarchies were such control freaks, they didn't leave their work at the job…they brought it home with them.

Dimitri passed Alberta on our way and nodded, she nodded back in acknowledgment. She was out on her lawn, watering the grass. I liked her apartment the best so far. It was decorated in cute little statues, welcoming signs, colorful flowers, and a small water fountain. The girl had some taste.

"Hi, Sergeant Alberta!" I waved enthusiastically.

She smiled. "Please, Rose, it's my day off. Call me Alberta."

"Wow, Alberta. You look great!" I shouted. She was wearing pale jeans and a cute orange top. Her hair hung lose in long waves. Alberta looked…delicate and youthful and beautiful. Of course I couldn't tell her that, it would make me look all girly and less badass.

"If I was a guy, I would totally tap that!" I let out a low wolf whistle.

"Oh, Rose," she sighed and placed a palm to her forehead. "I'm going to let that go."

I grinned and nudged Dimitri's side. "Pay her a compliment."

"What?" he whispered, so she was unable to hear us.

"A mercy flirt,"

"What are you talking about?"

I called out to Alberta."General Belikov said he would like to get in on that, too."

"Rose!" he hissed. Her mouth dropped open, forming a perfect O.

Dimitri forced a smile. "Ms. Hathaway thinks she's clever."

"I can't tell if she's brave or stupid," Alberta murmured.

"Stupid." He said automatically. I glared at him.

"I will be taking Ms. Hathaway for the remainder of the day. Please inform all of her teachers she will be absent."

"Consider it done," she said. "Goodbye, General Belikov."

We said our farewells and left.

"It's pretty badass being the General, huh?"

"Hmm?"

"It's cool being the General," I said. "You get to do whatever you want. You're in charge. Nobody questions your intentions. Like Alberta back there, she didn't even bat an eyelash when you said you'd be taking me away for the rest of the day."

"I don't see where you are going with this,"

"You could be taking me to your apartment to have crazy, rough, bondage sex for all she knows. Yet, Alberta didn't even question your intentions. It's like you have them all brainwashed."

"I am in charge," Dimitri said. "Nobody questions my authority, and if they do, they get severely punished and fired. It's not a good thing when you cross me."

"I've noticed."

We arrived at apartment number B43. Dimitri reached into the pocket of his pants and retrieved a small brass key. He unlocked the door and beckoned me in.

I glanced down at the door mat. It was brown with a picture of cowboy boots. It read: Wipe your boots before entering. I laughed.

Inside was simple and cozy. A brown couch that looked soft and comfy, sat on the far wall. A decent sized television set on the opposite wall, with a DVD shelf beside it. I walked up to investigate.

It was packed full of John Wayne movies. I giggled.

"What?" Dimitri arched an eyebrow. He stood there, hands behind back, watching me. The look on his face was eager, expectant. As if he was waiting for my approval.

Why would he care if I thought his apartment was cool?

"You like John Wayne?" I asked curiously.

"Obviously," he answered.

I walked over and gazed at his cherry-wood book shelf, over filled with books. "More cowboy stuff," I stated.

"I prefer the term Old West." he walked into the kitchen, I followed him.

The kitchen was simple and clean, with all of the necessities: Refrigerator, steel oven, matching sink and dishwasher.

Dimitri retrieved a bottle of orange fluid out of his refrigerator. He handed it to me. "Pedialyte,"

"Why are you giving me Pedialyte?"

"It will help with your hangover," he said. "It helps replace lost electrolytes, which you desperately need."

I shrugged. "Do you have Grape flavor?"

"Hmm?"

"Grape flavor," I shook the bottle. "I'm not a big fan of orange."

"No," he said. "I only bought orange, you'll have to manage."

I shrugged and took a sip. "Not feeling any difference here, Comrade."

"It's not a miracle cure," he said. "Give it a few hours, you will feel much better."

I was forced to drink the entire bottle.

"It wasn't so bad now, was it?" Dimitri smiled.

I shrugged. "Maybe."

The smile became more prominent. "Now, you may have not favored your Pedialyte, but I know you are going to love this."

Dimitri pulled out some bacon, eggs, shredded cheese, margarine, and a loaf of wheat bread.

I groaned.

He looked puzzled and gestured to the food. "Are you allergic?"

"The wheat bread,"

There must have been something telling in my voice because his face suddenly became amused. "You're lying,"

"Am not,"

"You are to." he shook his head and grinned.

"Okay, I'm not allergic," I admitted. "I just hate wheat, can't we have white bread?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I only eat wheat," Dimitri said. "Besides, it is healthier for you."

"Alright, whatever. Just make it, I'm hungry."

It was a pleasant view watching him cook. His back muscles rippled beautifully under his black tank top. I had to wipe the drool from my mouth—and it had nothing to do with the food, although it did smell delicious.

Dimitri set my bacon and egg sandwich on a plate, and handed me a cup of orange juice.

"The carbohydrates will help settle your stomach," He pointed at the sandwich, and then at the glass or orange juice. "And vitamin C will help, as well."

"You seem to know a lot about hangovers."

He simply shrugged.

I bit into the sandwich. The bacon was crispy and salty, the eggs fluffy, and the cheese warm and gooey. I moaned. "This is delicious."

Dimitri smiled.

After I was done scarfing down the entire sandwich and downing the orange juice, I felt surprisingly tired. "My head doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"That's because your hangover is fading," he said. "It should be gone within a few hours."

I nodded and yawned, stretching out like a cat.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"Yeah,"

"Would you like to stay here and take a nap?"

I'm pretty sure my eyes widened as big as saucers. "Uh, no. It's fine…I'll just go back to my room and take a nap."

"Rose," he looked me straight in the eye. "If you do not feel comfortable staying here, then that is fine. But I don't mind you being here at all, I actually enjoy your company."

"I find that hard to believe," I chuckled.

"Me too." he teased. I walked over and socked him in the arm. Dimitri responded with an amused laugh.

"Ouch," I clenched my hand, knuckles red and sore. "That kind of stung."

"As I was saying," he said. "I actually enjoy your company. Besides, if you had to go back to your dorm, it's a ten minute walk. It'd be easier if you stayed here, and after you're done sleeping…we can walk back together for evening practice."

Dimitri scratched the back of his neck like he was uncomfortable.

I shrugged. "Whatever, as long as you don't mind."

"I don't."

Without asking permission, I sauntered off to what I assumed to be his bedroom. I knew in an instant it was—considering it was the only room in the apartment and smelt strongly of aftershave. My knees went weak; I could inhale that heavenly aroma and die a happy woman.

A queen size bed, covered in a black quilt lay in the middle of the room. A polished cherry-wood nightstand beside it, on top, a simple lamp and a battered western novel.

I felt his presence behind me. I turned around to face him. "No T.V.?"

"It broke three years ago and I haven't had the time or desire to fix it."

"Ah," I ran my fingers along a picture. The woman on it appeared to be around my age—17 or 18—with golden brown hair and pretty brown eyes. My heart dropped.

"Is…is," I stumbled over my words. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Dimitri outright laughed. "My girlfriend?"

"Yeah, your girlfriend," I snapped, placing my hands on my hips. "Girlfriend, wife, mistress, lover, booty call…you know that type of thing?"

He cleared his throat, that care-free looked vanished from his face. He was all serious now. "She is my sister, Viktoria. She lives in Russia with my family."

"Oh," I blushed and averted my eyes, feeling extremely stupid for being psychotically jealous and possessive over nothing. I guess Dimitri just made me do crazy things. Love had no limits.

"And is she your mother?" I quickly tried to change the subject, pointing at the picture beside it.

On it was a woman in her mid-forties, beautiful with lovely salt and pepper hair—more pepper than anything—and dark chocolate brown eyes that matched both Viktoria's and Dimitri's.

"Yes, that is mamma," Dimitri gazed at it wistfully. "Her name is Olena."

"She's very pretty,"

"She is beautiful." he smiled at me.

I surveyed the rest of the photo frames hung on the wall. Dimitri didn't seem to mind, he actually looked pleased. He told me all about his nephew Paul and his niece Zoya. He laughed and smiled the entire time and I couldn't help but join in. He looked so incredibly happy. I guess family will do that to you. Well families that were built around love and trust. My small family consisted of greed and dishonesty. Hell, I didn't even feel like my mother or father loved me.

Dimitri noticed my soured mood. "What's wrong, Roza?"

"Roza?" I raised both of my brows.

"Rose," he corrected hastily. "I said Rose."

I shrugged. "Nothing's wrong with me."

Dimitri looked like he didn't believe me. "You're a terrible liar, Rose. But I cannot and I will not force the information out of you. Just know, if you ever need anyone to talk to, no matter what is, don't hesitate to come and talk with me. My door is always wide open for you."

I smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Dimitri. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime," he pulled back the covers of his bed. "Now, come on. It's time for you to get some rest so you can get rid of that terrible headache."

I giggled and snuggled into the blankets, they were warm and soft. I put them past my nose and secretly inhaled the heavenly scent of masculine aftershave.

Dimitri hovered above me. "Do you need anything?"'

"Just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep." I grinned.

"Alright, here," he reached behind his neck and unclasped a long silver chain, a key hanging from the bottom. He handed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A spare key to my house," he answered. "In case of emergencies, I want you to keep it in a safe place."

I nodded and placed it around my neck.

My eyelids suddenly felt really heavy. "Sleep now, Comrade, talk later."

I heard his soft chuckle. "Goodnight, Roza."

"Dimitri," I mumbled.

"Hmm?" he stopped mid-stride and turned to look at me.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" I was desperately trying to keep my eyes from closing.

"For what?"

"For getting wasted and kissing Adrian,"

I heard him hiss under his breath and mutter a Russian swear word. "No, not angry. Disappointed, yes. But not angry. I expected better from you, Rose."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'll try not to disappoint you next time."

"I believe you." Dimitri's voice was soft like silk and rich like chocolate.

"There isn't a chance I'll be getting my door back anytime soon…is there?" I asked hopeful.

"Absolutely not," he chuckled softly. "Goodnight, Rose."

And then he left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Night, Comrade."

I lost the battle to my eyelids and drifted off to a peaceful oblivion of dark shadows.

* * *

I awoke a few hours later, feeling content and well rested. The house was quiet; the buzzing of the air conditioner was the only thing I could hear. It was too quiet. Eerily quiet. Something was wrong; I could feel it in my gut.

The note that lay on the pillow beside me confirmed that. In neat, perfect hand-writing that made me envious, read:

_Stay here, don't leave. I was called in for patrol, something has occurred on campus grounds that I cannot inform you of. Listen to me this once and stay in the house. It is safe and locked. I will come and get you soon, I promise.—Dimitri._

I ripped off the sheets and immediately ran for the door. If something was happening, I needed to get out there. I couldn't stay locked up in this cage forever. Inactivity drove me wild.

Dimitri hadn't mentioned what was going on, but I knew it was something terrible. I had an instinctive feeling that twisted my stomach into knots.

I unlocked and ripped open the door, blistering winds stung my skin as goose bumps rose all over my body. It was late, the sky pitch black, adding to my increasing uneasy mood.

"I have to find Lissa." I breathed. Once those words left my lips, I took off running towards the high-school building.

Some maternal instinct inside of me made me want to protect her. I needed to watch over her, and I would. Ever since we'd become best friends three months ago, I'd become extremely overprotective to Lissa. I watched her like a hawk in the sky. She called me her own personal guardian angel. I liked that name.

I flung open her door without knocking. Lissa was alone; painting her toe nails a perfect cherry red. When I barged in, I had startled her, causing her to jump and spill polish all over the brown carpet.

"Shoot!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" I kneeled beside her, surveying her body for injuries.

"I'm fine," she dotted the carpet with a clean cotton ball, causing the red liquid to smear in further. "Why? Is something wrong with you?"

"Me?" I forced a laugh. "No, I'm fine, just wanted to come and check on you and say hi."

"Oh," she smiled. "Well, hi Rose."

I peeked out the window, like a paranoid freak. I was met with bushes and trees being tossed around violently by the heavy winds.

"Hey," I walked over and grabbed her pale hands, staring into her jade green eyes. "Is Christian coming over tonight?"

"Why?"

"Because this is serious and I need an honest answer," I said. "There is something going on out there—I don't know what—but it is important that you are not alone tonight. Call him."

Lissa looked alarmed and afraid, but she complied and quickly dialed the numbers on her pink cell phone.

A few seconds later, he picked up.

"Christian?" Lissa's voice was small and scared, she sounded like a five year old girl.

I was only able to hear the one sided conversation, so I had to use my imagination and guess what Christian might be saying.

"No, I'm fine. Can you come over?"

There was a sharp sound over the phone.

"Now,"

More muffled sounds.

"Because I don't want to be alone," Lissa said. "And Rose wants you to stay with me tonight."

She giggled and shot me a quick glance. "No, don't say that. She's not crazy."

I glared.

"Alright, I love you," she smiled at the phone. "See you soon."

Another giggle. "I'm not going to hang up."

A short pause.

"No, you hang up first."

"No, you first."

"No."

"No."

"Oh for Christ's sake, I'll fucking hang up for you." I snatched the phone out of her grasp and slammed it shut.

Lissa frowned. "I was in the middle of talking to him."

"You'll get over it."

A few moments later, Christian knocked at the door. I opened it and beckoned him inside. "Come on! Come on, get inside!"

"Is something wrong here?" He walked over and pecked Lissa on the lips.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," I said automatically. "Just stay here tonight. Watch Lissa and keep her safe—or else I'll serve your balls on a golden platter encrusted with pretty little rubies."

And then I was gone before they could respond, flying out the door faster than Superman.

It took me a measurable amount of time to find something out of ordinary, considering I had no clue who or what to look for. I spotted the flashing red, yellow, and blue lights that belonged to police cars. Bingo.

I ran over and was surprised at how many officers and detectives were there—at least a dozen. A man in a brown suit and gold glasses caught my attention, he was speaking with Dimitri.

I walked up to them. "Is everything alright here, Comrade? Who died?"

Dimitri grimaced. "What are you doing here, Rose? I told you to stay where you were. It's not safe out here."

"And why is that?"

He didn't answer my question. The two men shared a glance before the detective nodded in understanding. "I'll give you two a moment; you may want to explain it to her. I believe she has a right to know."

The detective turned on his heel and walked away to go speak with the other officers.

"Explain what to me?" I demanded.

Dimitri pursed his lips together, forming a tight line. Tension rolled off his body and fell onto me. "I don't know if this is the right time or place to tell you, Rose. Perhaps we should sit down first."

"I don't want to sit down," I shrugged of his hand. "I want to know what the hell is going on here. I need the truth."

"You want the truth?" he said flatly. "Here is the truth. Your friend, Meredith, was murdered and her body was dumped on campus just a few hours ago."

I felt the blood drain from my face. I swayed slightly. My vision got blurry. I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears. "What?"

Dimitri's face softened, suddenly becoming compassionate and concerned. His hand shot out to steady me, keeping my body from tumbling over and breaking a hip.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I wish it weren't true, I wish this wasn't happening to you," he shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "But it did happen, nothing is going to change it."

"How did she die?" I somehow managed to find my voice.

"I don't think that is appropriate for you to hear—"

"Cut the shit, Dimitri. Tell me, I need to know so I can find closure."

"The police officers don't know for sure," he paused. "But they believe it was strangulation. They also found multiple flesh wounds on the body and missing organs."

"I think I'm going to be sick," I covered my mouth and ran over to a nearby bush, emptying my stomach of all its contents.

Dimitri came up behind me, rubbing soothing circles into my back. "This is why I didn't want to tell you, I knew you couldn't handle it."

"I'm fine," I snapped.

Dimitri brushed his cool fingers to my clammy forehead. "You're burning up; let me get you some water."

He retrieved a small, plastic cup of ice-cold water. He handed it to me and I gulped the entire thing down greedily.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri crouched down, so that he was at eye level with me.

I nodded. "I'm fine, I just wanna go back to my room and be alone to my thoughts for awhile."

He nodded. "I understand. I'll escort you back to your dorm."

"I don't need a bodyguard."

"Yes," he said firmly. "You do, Rose. There is a murderer on the loose and I will not have you walking around alone at night."

"Whatever," I shrugged. "Just get me home, please. I am exhausted."

Despite the fact I had slept all day, I felt like a dead battery drained of energy. A hot shower and a comfy pillow sounded really good right about now.

"I didn't even know her that well," I said on our walk home.

"Who?" Dimitri gave me a side-long glance.

"Meredith," I said. "I didn't know Meredith very well, but I still liked her. She was nice. She didn't deserve to be disemboweled like some animal back there. It's just saddening, that's all."

Dimitri grimaced, searching for the right words to comfort me. "Even if she wasn't your friend, it would be sad. Tragedy is something all humans go through. You must not let it destroy you, you have to deal with it and move on. Be stronger. Learn from it."

"Thanks, coach," I gazed up at him, trying my best to keep the bite of sarcasm out of my next few words. "That zen life lesson was really needed."

"I'm here to help." he said.

When we arrived at my dorm, Dimitri did something that made my mouth drop open.

"Is that a Taser gun?"

He handed me the small, black square. "Yes, it is. The safety is on."

Dimitri showed me how to press a few buttons. "That is what you need to push if should ever need to use it. God forbid."

"Cool." I zapped it and screamed from the piercing noise.

"It is for emergencies only!" he growled, flicking the safety button back on. "Do not, ever, do that again. You could hurt yourself."

I carefully placed the weapon into my pocket. "Why am I going to need this? Because of the murderer on the loose?"

"Yes," Dimitri nodded. "But there has also been other strange occurrences here at St. Augustine's."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I'm going to be honest here, Rose. No sugar coating," He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, face tired and weary. "There have been three girls to go missing without a trace from this school within the past two months. Meredith was victim number four; she carries the only clues or evidence we have to catching this homicidal maniac. I don't want to run any risks, since you are a teenage girl, you are a target."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "Wow."

"Wow indeed," he said.

"Maybe it's a coincidence?" I suggested.

"Two missing girls is a coincidence, three is a pattern."

"Why have you kept this from me for so long?"

"I didn't want to worry you. The school board believes it is a missing person's case. They are positive the girls will turn up eventually." Dimitri didn't look convinced. "After all, this is a school for troubled teens. Students run away from here all the time."

I'd have to remember that for later.

"This is nice and all," I gestured to the taser gun in my pocket. "But couldn't I get something cooler, like, I don't know...nunchucks?"

"Oh, Rose," he sighed.

"Is that a yes?"

"God, no," he said immediately. "Not now, not ever."

I frowned. "Fine."

"Get some rest and be careful. There is something entirely wrong going on here, and I want you to watch your back until we figure everything out. Here..."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a western novel.

"Geeze, you take those puppies everywhere you go. Don't ya?" I teased.

Dimitri ignored me and scribbled something down on a blank piece of paper, he ripped it from his book and handed it to me. Written in that same perfect hand-writing was a number.

"What's this for?" I waved the paper in the air.

"My number. Don't ever hesitate to use it. I don't care if it's the middle of the night, you still call me if you need anything." he ordered.

I nodded. He used that tone of voice that indicated he was serious, that he meant business. I couldn't object. I wanted to listen to anything Dimitri had to say.

I nodded and saluted him. "I'll be careful, Comrade! Don't worry about me, I can handle myself."

He suddenly embraced me into a tight hug, wrapping his hands around the small of my back, pulling me into his warm body. "I'm worried about you, Rose."

Dimitri's warm breath tickled my ear, causing my body to raise in goose bumps.

"I'll be fine, Dimitri."

He pulled back away from our hug and I immediately felt the loss.

"You are not invincible nor indestructible, Roza. Remember that." Dimitri's voice as husky with an emotion I couldn't pin point. And then he was gone.


	8. Chapter 8: Growing Suspicions

**A/N:**

All of you blew me away with the feedback from last chapter. I am amazed that you guys enjoy this story so much! THANK YOU! :-)

I got a few questions regarding when Dimitri and Rose are going to get together. I am not going to tell you when, because there is no fun in that, so you'll all just have to wait and see. ;-)

Enjoy!

******Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.****

* * *

**

I sat on the black leather couch beside Adrian, sipping a cup of freshly brewed hazel nut coffee, courtesy of Adrian. The sweet smell wafted around me, causing my senses to come out of their sleepy haze.

Adrian's carpet had been replaced, with a vibrant teal color. I would have thought the color was bizarre and tacky in any other house, but Adrian somehow made it look tasteful, expensive. And I'm sure it was.

"So, please tell us once again, Adrian," Christian yawned. "Why it was so important for you to wake us up at this Godly hour?"

"Hey, it's not that bad. I have to meet Dimitri for morning practice in fifteen minutes," I chuckled, taking a sip of my mug. "Consider yourself lucky you don't have to do this everyday."

Adrian frowned at me.

"Oh, well yes…the coffee that Adrian brings me every morning has made my days a lot more…" I paused, groping for the right word to say. "_Enjoyable_."

He smiled at me.

I smiled sweetly back. "Thanks, Douche bag."

"Guys, just shut up," Lissa clapped her hands annoyed. "Tell us about this reoccurring dream you've been having, Adrian."

"It's about Rose—"

"Of course she would be the mistress of your dreams," Christian snorted.

"I am the mistress of every mans dreams." I winked.

"Behave you two and be quiet." Lissa snapped.

"I'm sorry, babe," Christian leaned up from his spot in her lap to press a kiss to the side of her pale neck, just below her ear. Lissa smiled and ran her fingers through his jet-black hair.

"Forgive me?" Christian stuck out his bottom lip, like a sad puppy.

"I forgive you," She giggled, reaching down to pull his lip between her teeth and bit down gently.

"Come on, you guys!" I gagged and covered my eyes. "Save it for the bedroom."

"Love has no limits, Rose," Christian said."And I refuse—for your sake, or anyone else's for that matter, to limit my love for Lissa to our bedroom. There's just so much to give, why should we deprive you of it?"

"You just think you're _soooo _clever, don't you?" I scowled.

Christian smiled cheekily and nodded.

"Anyway, after that intelligent conversation…" Lissa trailed off irritably. "Please, everyone, no interruptions—Adrian go on."

"Yes, well," he cleared his throat. "I want you all to keep an open mind here…"

"That's impossible," I muttered.

All three of them glared at me. I made a zipping motion over my lips and pretended to toss it away.

Adrian continued, "I believe that I have inherited my aunts' powers."

"Powers?" I asked.

"Psychic, clairvoyant, spiritual sensor…that type of thing."

"And here I was thinking you had a cool power," I shrugged, "Like X-ray vision, force fields, super strength…maybe even some sharp claws."

Adrian sighed and decided to ignore me, "I have been having these peculiar dreams lately. They're about Rose and this man, at least that's what I think it is."

He squinted, deep in thought. "It's hard to describe it because I am unable to get a very good view—usually my dreams are clearer and easily understood."

"What is Rose doing in the dreams?"

"This better not be anything R rated," I teased.

"Rose, just shut up for a second and take this serious." Adrian snapped, running his fingers through his bronze hair in frustration. He looked tired, aged, irritated. The dark circles under his eyes didn't look good on his nearly flawless face.

"In my dreams…" Adrian looked at me cautiously. "Rose is naked."

I bit my tongue to keep from releasing a comment. Lissa's jade green eyes widened.

"Continue…" Christian said.

"It's not what you guys think; it has nothing to do with sex." Adrian shook his head. "Rose is on a hospital bed, naked. She doesn't move at all, just makes little sounds like moans. And then this man comes up in a surgical uniform, you know, with the blue scrubs, mask, gloves…all of that. It's hard to tell because everything is so bright and blurry."

My heart dropped into my stomach.

Lissa's forehead creased, forming a line. "Is…is that it?"

Adrian shook his head, "No." he paused, "The man keeps talking to Rose, but I am unable to make out his words."

_"Hello, my dear…everything is going to be alright. Just take a deep breath and relax."_

"He pulls out a syringe and some sort of clear liquid in a vile, and then," Adrian swallowed inaudibly. "He sticks it in her arm. Rose moans…but that's it, she doesn't move. It's almost like she's paralyzed."

_I felt a pinch in the fold of my arm. The needle._

_A second later, I felt a burning sensation as he injected the contents into my blood stream._

_I screamed in agony. The sound seemed to be a little louder than the others. But it still wasn't enough. I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I could feel pain._

_I was useless._

"The doctor slices her with one of those knife things…what is it called, Lissa?"

"A scalpel,"

_I felt it cut deep into my skin. A horrible, stinging sensation. A crimson color reflected in his green eyes. My blood, my life line seeping out of me…_

"And then there's blood, Rose's blood….everywhere. There's so much of it," Adrian's eyes went unfocused for a moment, reliving the memory. "And then I wake up, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. It's happened every night this week. The same dream over and over again."

I decided not to tell anyone that I'd had a dream that was nearly identical to Adrian's just over a month ago. The only difference we shared was that I could feel everything in my dream: The needle, the scalpel, the foggy haze, the feeling of being trapped in my own body.

"This is crazy," I shook my head. "It was just a stupid dream."

"Many of my dreams have come true before," Adrian said. "That is where my psychic powers sing to me, that is when I am able to tap into my energy— my subconscious mind."

"How can we be sure you're not lying?" Christian asked.

"I dreamed about Meredith before she was murdered." Adrian spoke softly. "Her dream was nearly identical to the one I've been having about Rose—except, it's far more gruesome and I don't wake up until it's over."

A shudder ran through his body, I put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Adrian. I am going to be okay. I'm the kick ass Little cadet, remember?"

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know, Little cadet. You're like a ninja warrior, you could probably beat my pretty face into a pulp if you wanted to. But that doesn't change the fact that I am still concerned about you. At the end of the day, you are still a woman—and although you're stronger than most, you can still be easily over-powered."

"That's true, Rose," Lissa said, jade green eyes burning with concern and a little bit of fear.

"Baby, look at me," Christian grabbed her chin between his thumb and index finger, she stared into his ice-blue eyes. "Rose is going to be fine, she can handle her own. Besides, she's always with Belikov….do you really think he would let anything happen to her?"

Lissa thought about it for a moment, before shaking her head and smiling, the relief clear on her face. "No, he wouldn't."

"Exactly," Christian trailed his lean fingers across her cheekbone and tucked a stray piece of platinum blonde hair behind her ear. "So don't worry about it, everything is going to be fine once they catch this lunatic."

"That's true," I nodded. "They have extra guards stationed outside the gates….and we all know about the change in curfew."

Our curfew here at St. Augustine's used to be nine, but now it was seven. So most students were back in their dorms before it was even fully dusk outside.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Gotta go! My Russian jailer's waiting for me."

"I'm sure he is, I'm sure he is," Adrian muttered. I smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!"

He launched a couch pillow at me, but it didn't make contact. I was already out the door.

I saw Dimitri out on the track, his back facing me. Figuring this was the only chance I'd get at catching him off guard, I took the opportunity.

I tip-toed until I was appreciatively five feet away from him, and then, silently as I possibly could, took the last few steps separating our bodies.

"I wouldn't do that, Rose," Dimitri chided; I could hear the underlying playfulness to his voice.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath. "I thought I had you."

"No, you don't have me," Dimitri turned around, that predatory smile curved his sensuous lips. "But I've got you."

And then he grabbed for me.

I turned on my heel and booked it as fast as I possibly could, just barely dodging his long arms from snatching me up—not that I'd complain, the thought of being in Dimitri's arms sounded like heaven, or what I imagined it to be.

Unfortunately, thanks to his long and lean legs, I only got about three feet before being captured.

Dimitri grabbed me by the waist from behind, his arms encircling around them and restraining me from going anywhere. I was pulled roughly into his body and slammed against his rock hard chest and stomach.

"Be still, Rose," His breath moved my hair, right above my ear. I shivered, and I'm sure he felt it.

I gave up on squirming. Being locked in Dimitri's arms was like being tied in a straight jacket, I wasn't going anywhere until he released me.

"Now, that is why I call you my Russian Jailer." I murmured.

He chuckled whole-heartedly. "And that is why I call you my pain in the ass."

I bit back an inappropriate comment about his ass, didn't want to antagonize him.

"I find that Rude," I said.

"What do you find rude, Ms. Hathaway?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"You calling me your pain in the ass," I said. "I prefer to be called the apple of your eye, your star pupil, your best student ever…something along the lines of that."

This got an outright laugh. "That's not going to happen anytime soon. Definitely not in my lifetime."

"Well," I snickered. "I guess I shouldn't have to wait too long."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're old," I grinned and shifted in his arms so I could face him, he allowed me to by loosening his grip a bit.

Bad idea.

I nearly melted into a puddle of goo. Being in such close proximity with Dimitri did bad things to my libido.

The smell of aftershave mingled with sweat invaded my senses. His dark, bottomless eyes were on fire gazing at me, like melting pools of chocolate.

"Where is this from?" I somehow managed to find my voice. I trailed two fingers along a scar the stretched from his right eyebrow to the corner of his eye. I had never seen it before.

"My father," Dimitri's voice was raspy, husky, and sexy. His Russian accent so pronounced I found it difficult to understand him. But God, was it a beautiful sound.

Strands of shoulder length brown hair got tossed around from the wind and blew into my face, tickling my cheek.

"Your father did this to you?" I put the hand that was touching his face, onto his chest.

Dimitri nodded.

"Why?"

"Because he hit my mother," His jaw clenched.

"And he hit you too?" I felt a spark of anger towards a man I'd never met before.

"Only because I hit him first," The smallest smile twitched his mouth.

"You beat him up?"

"Yes,"

"Shut up," I punched his chest. "You beat up your father because he hit Olena?"

"First of all, I will not shut up," he paused, "And second of all, yes, I did beat up my father. He should know better than to lay his hands on a woman, and he needed to be taught a lesson."

"And you taught him a lesson…"

"Yes," he nodded, the smile becoming more prominent. "I taught him a lesson he'd never forget."

"Wow," I gaped in wonder and a bit of amazement. "You're a badass. The stories are true...you really are a God."

"A God?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Well, to be more specific," I paused. "A Russian God."

He chuckled, "That's what my students call me?"

I nodded, "All of them. They practically worship you, but they're also terrified of you."

"Why?" Dimitri's face suddenly became solemn.

"You're not exactly the most lenient, permissive, or merciful guy in the world," I shrugged. "It wouldn't kill ya to be a little nicer to the cadets."

I was distantly aware of being tucked away tightly in his arms, our position extremely intimate with all of his body parts being pressed against mine. For right now, it was just Dimitri and I, the rest of the world simply faded away.

"It's my job as the General to be strict," he said softly, "It is better for a leader to be feared than loved."

"Dimitri, why are you so guarded?" I shook my head. "You're so lonely; I can see it in those beautiful brown eyes. You have all these walls built around you, and you never let anyone past them."

"I've let you in," he whispered.

"No, you haven't. Not entirely," I said, "We could change that though."

I kissed the triangle of bare skin at the top of his black V neck. The skin was warm, soft…wonderful. I never wanted my lips to leave his body.

"Rose, what are you doing?" Dimitri shoved me back, I stumbled.

"Wow," I gasped, catching my footing. "I've never had rejection to that level of extreme."

"Are you crazy?" He demanded. "I am your instructor! This type of behavior will not be tolerated."

"Welcome back, General Belikov," I smiled bitterly. "I knew you'd render your ugly head soon or later. Tell me, Dimitri, have you ever been checked for multiple personality disorder?"

* * *

Christian, Mason, and I were all seated in the cafeteria, having a healthy competition of the game we'd made up just five minutes ago, _'Who could annoy people the most?'_

I was currently in the lead.

I purposely dropped my orange on the ground, and waited for someone to kindly pick it up for me.

Andy, a senior in two of my classes, picked up the bait. Once he realized I wasn't planning on picking it up—or maybe he thought I hadn't noticed I'd dropped it, he stood up and strode over. Like a true gentleman, he reached down to pick it up.

"THAT'S MINE!" I screamed.

Andy's eyebrows raised, he looked at me strangely, before tossing the orange onto my table. "Geeze, lady. Just trying to help."

"Make like horse shit and hit the dusty trail!" I exclaimed.

"One more point for psycho bitch," Christian muttered, scribbling down marks on our tally chart.

"Looks like you won the game, Hathaway." Mason declared.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," I rubbed my hands together.

"Rose, Rose!" Lissa ran up to our table, wearing a cute pink sweat outfit and white sneakers.

"Well don't you look beautiful today," I complimented.

"She always looks beautiful," Christian added.

"Come on, let's go!" she jumped up and down.

"Where?"

"Shopping, at the mall. Go change now. We're leaving."

"Whoa slow down there, girly girl," I said. "I can't leave, I'm a cadet at this school and a minor."

"That is true," she grinned mischievously. "But I begged General Belikov to cut you some slack. He told me as long as him and Stan come along to supervise, it's fine. We just have to make sure we're all back by curfew."

"Ugh," I groaned. "Why couldn't you and I go alone? You're a staff here and over 18…I'm sure you could supervise me."

"I asked that," she bobbed her head up and down like a Parakeet. "But with all the strange occurrences going on lately at St. Augustine's, the last thing the General wants is to have a couple of girls out on their own. He's not taking any chances."

"Fine," I sighed. "I will go."

Lissa squealed, "Come on! Come on! Let's go get you dressed."

I grabbed my tray and stood up to follow her.

"Hey wait!" Christian frowned, "Don't I get any sugar?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Of course," Lissa giggled, running up to him and planting a sweet kiss to his lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to forget you."

Christian yanked her down into his lap, trying to prolong the kiss.

"Oh, my God!" I grabbed Lissa's arm. "Can you two just stop?"

"That's for forgetting about your honey," Christian winked at Lissa. "I'll make sure to get the rest later."

I gagged and dragged Lissa out of the cafeteria, dumping my tray in the trashcan on my way out.

I slipped into a pair or comfortable jeans and a black t-shirt with a picture of a ninja on the front. I shoved my feet into a pair of black Nikes, ran a brush through the tangles of my dark hair, and headed out the door with Lissa in tow.

Lissa lead me towards the front gates where a black van was parked. I spotted Dimitri and Stan leaning against it, looking like badass bodyguards—well, Dimitri did. He was wearing black jeans, matching shirt, leather boots, and his brown duster. Shoulder length brown hair tied at the nape of his neck.

My God, he was beautiful.

"I want you to meet someone, come on." Lissa smiled.

This helped me to snap out of my Russian God ogling. A condition I had picked up since moving here to St. Augustine's.

We reached the van.

"General Belikov," I nodded politely. "Bus-Driver Alto."

Stan glared at me. "It's Mr. Alto."

Lissa ushered me towards a man, he looked to be in his late 40's or early 50's with dark hair and jade green eyes that were identical to Lissa's.

Lissa gave him a friendly hug. He returned it just as eagerly.

"It's always nice to see you again, Vasilisa," he said. "It's been too long, we must do this more often."

"I want you to meet my best friend, Rosemarie Hathaway." She pulled back from the hug and gestured towards me.

"Call me Rose," I shot out my hand.

"I am Victor Dashkov," he smiled pleasantly, "It is always a pleasure to meet one of Vasilisa's close friends."

Victor shook my hand, it was a firm handshake. It radiated confidence. His palms were warm and scratchy. I glanced down to see what looked to be small cuts all over his hands. Most were healed.

"Are you okay?" I pointed at his hands. "It looks like your hands took a substantial amount of beating. You don't peg me as the construction type."

Victor glanced down his hands, the friendly smile never leaving his face.

"Oh, yes. I assure you I am fine," he laughed and shook his head, "You'll have to excuse my cat Bruce, he is quite the playful one. Always scratching and attacking my feet."

Lissa smiled. "I wish I could meet the little rascal."

"Perhaps you can come visit my home one day," Victor said. "You can play with Bruce all you want, I'm sure he'd be absolutely delighted to have someone keep him company. It's been quite lonely for him ever since MaryAnne has fallen ill; I have not the time of day for him."

I cocked my head to the side. Lissa nodded sympathetically.

Was she really buying into this guys crap? Viktor was practically throwing up lies. I could see it in his green eyes.

Lissa was a vulnerable caring person, she fell victim to anyone's sob stories. I wasn't so fooled.

Sure, I did believe he had a sick wife and a pain-in-the-ass cat, but there was something off about his character. Something not right.

I sniffed it from the moment I saw him.

"Alright, we have to get going so we can be back before dusk." Dimitri spoke from behind me.

"What are we hiding from? Vampires?" I grinned.

"It is a precaution, Ms. Hathaway." Stan said.

"I like Vampires," Lissa added.

"Christian has told me it is your…_fetish_." I winked. She giggled and blushed.

We all loaded into the car. Lissa and Viktor were in the back of the van, chatting one another's ears off. While Dimitri and Stan were seated in the front. Stan in passenger seat, Dimitri in drivers. I decided to sit behind him.

"Hey, Comrade," I tapped his shoulder.

"Address me by my appropriate tile, Ms Hathaway," Dimitri said blankly. "As I have respectively addressed you."

"Sorry, General Belikov," I paused. "Do you like my shirt?"

Dimitri's dark eyes flickered to the rearview mirror; he glanced down at the ninja on my shirt. He raised a dark eyebrow. I huffed.

Figuring Dimitri and Stan weren't going to be the chattiest fellows; I decided to head back and hang with Lissa and Viktor for a bit. Just to keep a watchful eye on them.

The entire ride there—an hour and forty five minutes—Viktor spoke nonstop about his wife, MaryAnne. He explained of how MaryAnne had been diagnosed with Sandovsky's Syndrome just four years back. It was a chronic disease that was slowly killing her and ultimately preventing MaryAnne from living the life she always dreamed of.

Viktor had also gone on to explain that his wife was basically a vegetable, and her condition continued to rapidly deteriorate. MaryAnne had been put through hell in recent years, going through all sorts of tests and rough therapy. She'd also volunteered to become a human lab-rat, and allowed the doctors to experiment on her. They still hadn't found a cure for the disease, and they were losing hope that they ever would.

I had to admit, by the time Viktor was done talking, I had become a little teary eyed. Lissa had silent tears streaming down her face. I felt bad for pegging Viktor as someone sketchy and up-to-no-good so quickly. I didn't know him. Don't judge a book by its cover, was the saying.

Viktor was a really nice person, just a lonely guy experiencing heart ache and endlessly hoping his wife would somehow get better. I decided to give him a chance. Be polite. I had no reason not to.

All too son, we were pulling up to the Missoula mall.

I hopped out, along with Viktor, Lissa, Dimitri, and Stan.

Lissa squealed excitedly, running over, she crushed me into a hug.

"Shopping! Shopping! Shopping!" In her burst of energy and excitement, Lissa attempted to pick me up.

I outweighed her by at least 15 pounds, and after a few embarrassed grunts and failed attempts, she let go of my waist and stepped back.

"Gee, Liss," I put my hand on my hip. "You make me feel like a cow."

She shrugged. "It's not you; it's these darn tiny arms of mine."

I laughed.

Dimitri and Stan ushered us inside the mall.

* * *

"Are we done yet, Lissa?" I asked irritably. We'd been in the mall for three hours already and in our seventh clothing store.

My stomach grumbled and cramped. "Need food, now."

"Once we find you a dress for Thanksgiving dinner, we'll be out of here, I promise." Lissa piled more clothes and shoes into her arms.

"What's so important about this dinner anyway?" I groaned.

"I want you to meet my parents and brother," she smiled.

"Is your brother hot?" I asked.

Lissa shrugged. "He resembles me in a lot of ways."

"He's hot." I stated. She chuckled softly.

Dimitri and Stan sat in the food court with Viktor—just outside the store Lissa and I were in—keeping a watchful eye on the two of us.

Viktor had tried to keep up with us—and he'd done a damn good job—but after awhile, he grew tired. After apologizing profusely, he went to go have a seat and relax in the food court. I watched with envy as all three of the men munched in on Chinese food. Maybe I could sneak out of here and Lissa wouldn't notice me gone…

No such luck.

"I found it!" she squealed, holding up a blood-red dress. The fabric was satin with thin spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline.

"Are you sure that's appropriate for meeting your parents?" I asked. "It looks like it'd manage some major clinging action around the butt and breasts…if ya know what I mean. And I think you do."

"Oh, it's fine," Lissa made a dismissive motion. "My parents are going to love you in it. You're going to love yourself in it. Now get in that dressing room now, young lady! Or so help me I will do something bad."

I was shoved into the dressing room.

After slipping on the dress, I was pleased with my reflection in the mirror. I showcased it for Lissa.

"Wow," she gaped. "You look smokin' hot."

I heard a low whistle. I glanced over at the doorway where Vikor stood, Dimitri and Stan behind him as giant shadows.

"Exquisite and delicate, my dear," Viktor smiled. "You look wonderful."

"Thanks, Viktor," I smiled politely.

"Please," he waved his hand in the air. "You are practically part of the family now. Call me Uncle."

"Thanks, Uncle Victor." My smile was more sincere this time, my heart warmed at his words.

How could I have been so cold to judge him the way I did earlier?

I looked past Viktor, where Dimitri stood. His face was blank and guarded. But his eyes told a whole different tale. They were dark. Hungry. Appreciative. Dimitri just stared at me. And stared and stared. I felt like the most desirable woman in the world under that penetrating gaze. My insides ignited in flames.

"Are we ready to leave yet, ladies?" Victor asked.

"Yes." Lissa and I sung in unison.

"Rose, change back in your clothes. I'll go pay for everything. And then we're out of here." Lissa said.

"Thank you," I shuffled towards the dressing room. "My feet are killing me."

* * *

Later that night, after taking a shower and getting dressed in my favorite PJ's, I was tucked neatly in bed when I spotted a looming shadow.

I gasped in fear and shot up in my bed.

"Roza, relax, it's just me." Dimitri stood in my doorway.

"What are you doing here?" I slammed a hand to my heaving chest. "You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were the killer."

"I came by to give you a new door," he smiled. Dimitri disappeared into the hallway; a moment later he came back, holding a shiny oak door in his arms.

"Why am I getting my door back?" I asked dumbfounded. "Have I been on good behavior?"

"It's definitely not that," he grinned. I glared. "I came to give you a door so you can have some privacy. Also, with the murders—"

I cringed.

"—it is not safe to be out in the open. When I know you're locked safely away in your room at night, it gives me peace at mind, that way I am able to catch some sleep. I haven't gotten much lately, knowing anyone could walk into your dorm at anytime."

Dimitri shook his head, as if to clear the bad thoughts.

Without another word, he pulled out a screwdriver and began hooking my privacy and protection up.

Twenty minutes later, my brand new door was in place. Equipped with two deadbolts and a chain Dimitri had installed.

"Do the rest of the cadets have these?" I gestured to the locks.

"No," Dimitri said. "I installed those only in your room."

"Why?" My forehead creased in confusion.

"For extra protection." He answered. "Better to be safe, than sorry."

"Don't all of the other cadets need extra protection too?"

"I am not concerned with them as of right now," Dimitri shrugged. "My only focus is keeping you safe, and that is what I plan to do."

I smiled. "Thanks, Comrade."

He nodded sharply.

I snuggled back into the covers. Dimitri stood there, glancing around my room. That's when he spotted my blood-red dress draped over the chair beside my desk.

"Aren't you going to hang it up?" he jerked his head in that direction.

"The dress?"

He nodded.

"Naw," I shook my head. "As long as it's not lying on the floor, it's fine with me."

"It will get wrinkles and creases," he noted. "It is difficult to iron satin, it burns easily if you are not careful."

"Were you a dry cleaner before you became a General?" I asked sardonically.

"I have three sisters," Dimitri explained. "I picked up a trick or two over the years."

"Oh."

"Well," He gazed back at me. "It is a nice dress and I would hate to see it get ruined because you're simply too lazy to hang it up."

Dimitri hung up the dress for me in my closet.

I smiled gratefully. "Do you like it?"

"Like what?"

I pointed towards the closet.

"The dress?"

"Yes," I said. "The dress."

"I have already said it's nice."

"I know, I know," I waved my hand impatiently in the air. "But do you like it on me?"

Dimitri visibly swallowed, and it looked like it hurt. His voice was tight as he spoke, "Yes, Rose. You look nice in it."

"Nice?" My face scrunched up. "Don't you think that term is a little bland when describing me? You can do better than that."

His gaze narrowed. "What do you expect me to say, Ms. Hathaway?"

"Something besides nice," I said. "Say something you mean. Something you are feeling…something from your heart."

Dimitri's dark eyes softened, his mouth forming a small frown. He looked sad, vulnerable, pained.

"You're beautiful, Roza," he breathed, staring at the ground. His tone indicated he was talking more to himself than me. "You're so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes."

Dimitri spared me one last glance before turning and reaching for the door handle.

"Make sure you lock this."

And then he closed the door shut behind him, leaving me speechless from what he'd confessed tonight.


	9. Chapter 9: The clock is ticking

******Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.****

* * *

**

Unfortunately, winter was on its way. And that meant I had to say goodbye to my cute shorts, tank tops, and flip flops until next spring. Temperatures had dropped tremendously the past week, thus I had to start bundling up or I would probably catch frostbite. I liked to keep all ten of my toes.

The one good thing about Dimitri—besides his stunning good looks—was his lack of care or concern with my choice of clothing for our practices. So long as I was present and punctual, I could wear anything I wanted.

It was 6 o clock at night, time for after school practice with my Russian jailer, and an hour before curfew—thanks to Meredith's gruesome murder.

They still hadn't found any leads to who might have committed the murders—the person or persons could be on the other side of the world by now for all they knew. The more time that passed by, the likelihood of catching whoever did this dropped even further. The clock was ticking.

I had put all of my faith into the police system. And I was just now starting to realize that wasn't the most logical thing to do. Sure it was their job, and they were good at it, but they could only do so much—obviously.

I didn't want to sit around and wait for the next teenage girl to get murdered. And everyone was positive the killer would strike again. And whoever the killer was, they were clever in what they did. They were neat and unobtrusive. No one had seen or heard Meredith's body being dumped on school grounds—which I find peculiar considering how many students and staff workers walked around St. Augustine's.

I'd already begun forming my own hypothesis of who might have killed Meredith and kidnapped the missing girls.

I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it was someone who was familiar with the system here at St. Augustine's. Possibly even someone who worked here. Maybe even a student—but I doubted that, a teenager would be sloppy, conspicuous, and draw a lot of attention to them selves. Yeah, I ruled the chance of a student being the murderer out.

I had a feeling the killer was someone who blended in with the crowd. An insider. The thought of it being someone I knew scared the hell out of me. Students here at St. Augustine's were growing increasingly uneasy about the situation. Hell, even I was glancing nervously over my shoulder every couple of minutes. I even made sure to lock my dorm room anytime I occupied it—day or night. I wanted to catch this murderer and have this nightmare finally over.

I felt like Sherlock Holmes, the only thing I was missing was a deerstalker, microscope, and a pipe.

I shook my head to clear the negative thoughts and took a deep calming breath. There was plenty of negative energy flowing around campus; I didn't need to feed it. I planned on staying on the positive side with my close friends and Dimitri. Everyone else could run and join Dark Vader on the dark side.

I slipped into a pair of thermal tights and a pair of black jeans. After pulling on a matching thermal shirt, combat boots, and my favorite leather jacket, I headed out the door to meet Dimitri. The taser nuzzled in my pocket for protection—the safety button clicked on. I'd learned my lesson when I tried to zap both Adrian and Christian and accidentally caught myself instead.

I was informed by Dimitri today at morning practice that I'd be having a lesson in firearms. I was excited to say the least and I made sure to dress for the part.

I was unsure of how I felt towards what he'd confessed to me the previous week. At first I was ecstatic, amazed, out-of-this-world happy. Dimitri had finally admitted he felt something for me! But at the following practice, his face was emotionless and guarded—indicating he wasn't planning on mentioning anything towards our romantic situation. If you could even call it that.

There were times I even questioned my sanity. Did he really call me beautiful? Had I imagined it? Did my brain form the words I wanted to hear? It ached my mind just thinking of it.

There was one thing I was positive about: The increase in sexual tension between Dimitri and I. I could feel it—the way it got harder to breathe around him, the thickness in the air, and the sickly sweet taste of lust. And I was positive he felt it too.

"Morning, Comrade." I waved, "You look ready to kick some serious ass."

Dimitri was clad in olive green army pants, a cotton black tank-top, combat boots, a bullet proof vest, and protective yellow glasses—the ones that people wear at a shooting range. I wanted to run my fingers through his silky shoulder length brown hair that was worn loose and shaggy today.

He looked dangerous. Sexy. I had an undeniable urge to rip his clothes off and tackle him to the grassy field and make sweet passionate love to his body. I might even let him keep the bullet proof vest on during sex, possibly the glasses too.

My libido was begging to be satisfied or at the very least partially quenched. I blamed my horniness on being a teenager with raging hormones. I knew that wasn't the case at all, the cause of all my problems was standing in front of me, smiling with his arms crossed, muscles bulging.

"Good morning, Rose." Dimitri said, voice relaxed and airy. He was in a good mood. Yippee!

"So, where are the big guns at?" I asked, "And don't say your arms. It's cliché and totally unoriginal."

This got an eye roll.

"First, put this on." He handed me a black vest that matched his, only this one was much smaller.

"You're not going to shoot me, are you?" I pulled the bullet proof vest over my head.

"No."

"Then why do we have to put these on?"

"It is a precaution. Accidents happen all the time. We are dealing with firearms."

"Is this your subtle way of apologizing in advance if anything shall go wrong?"

"I'm not going to shoot you."

"Accidents happen all the time." I threw his words right back at him.

Dimitri bit his tongue, momentarily unsure of how to respond.

"You're wearing the vest because it is better to be safe than sorry. I'll try my best not to hit you with a bullet, Ms. Hathaway." He winked.

My God, if Dimitri looked incredibly sexy doing that little gesture...just imagine what a strip tease or lap dance would be like.

_Stop it!_ I scolded myself.

"Thanks, Comrade." I smiled sweetly. "It's always comforting to know that you won't pull the trigger on me—purposely."

Dimitri cracked a small smile. "Come on, let's go."

He led me towards the outlying fields of the school—it was smart not to have passing students in the line of fire. There was a flat plane of dirt and rocks.

"Stop right here. This is where I'll be shooting." His hand shot out to prevent me from going any further.

Approximately twenty feet out, was a line up of empty aluminum cans, glass bottles, and colorful circle targets.

That's not what caught my eye. The life-size cardboard cutouts sung to me. They looked incredibly life like, with expressions ranging from happy to sad to angry. One in particular stood out to me. It was a woman cutout with curly red hair and a scowl etched on her face, teeth barring. My mother, Janine Hathaway.

"I call dibs on that one!" I pointed dramatically towards it.

Dimitri outright laughed, and I'm pretty sure it was at me and not with me.

"You're not shooting today."

I gaped. "What? That's not fair!"

"I didn't become your mentor so I could be fair," He pulled out a sleek black gun and slammed the clip into it. "I am your mentor so I can teach you self-control, respect and discipline. You are not shooting today."

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him.

Dimitri didn't seem fazed as he went on with the lesson. "This is a 9 mm semi automatic. It will do some damage, but not as much as some of the other firearms here at St. Augustine's."

"And here I was thinking we were going to be using something cool like an UZI or a rifle, possibly even a tank."

"Rose," he warned, underlying irritation to his tone. "If you are not going to take this serious, then we will not be doing it. Handling firearms takes extreme responsibility and caution."

"I'm not going to be handling any guns, remember?"

Dimitri released a long drawn out exasperated sigh. "You are the most obstinate woman in the world."

I put my hand on my hip. "So I've been told."

"I'm not doing this for fun, Rose. I'm doing this to help you." His gaze intensified. "By doing this—" Dimitri jabbed a finger towards the targets. "You will be ahead of your fellow cadets. I have total and complete faith that you will surpass them in your upcoming trials if you work hard enough."

My lips involuntary twitched into a smile. "Thanks—I guess."

"And…" he let the word trail off.

"And?"

"And if you remain on good behavior during this lesson," Dimitri handed me the same protective glasses and earplugs he was wearing. "I might let you shoot off a couple of rounds at the end—if you swear to be careful and not fool around."

"I swear, I swear!" I jumped up and down, squealing excitedly. "Thank you. You're the best mentor _ever_."

Unable to help myself, I ran up to Dimitri and jumped up to give him a hug. My hands encircled his neck, my feet off the ground—thanks to his impossible height. I probably looked like a monkey hanging around Dimitri's neck.

His stiff posture indicated he'd been startled by my sudden actions. But after a few seconds, he chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.

"You're welcome." Dimitri whispered.

Reluctantly, I unlocked my arms and jumped back to the ground. Dimitri smiled down at me. I returned it.

"Put on your protective gear." he instructed.

I did.

And I had to admit…Dimitri and I looked like one badass team.

"We're like Bo and Luke Duke," I said.

Dimitri stared at me.

"You know," I waved my hand in the air. "From _The Dukes of Hazzard_."

More staring.

"Ah," I made a dismissive motion. "Never mind! Just forget I said anything."

"Alright," he arched an eyebrow. "Watch closely at everything I do."

I nodded.

Dimitri pulled the gun out and pointed it ahead of him, aiming for a glass bottle. "The first thing is you need to keep your hips and shoulders squared at the target."

"Got cha'."

"Keep your arms straight up and place one hand along the bottom of the trigger guard. Acquire your target."

Dimitri demonstrated the move. I nodded to let him know I was following along.

"And fire."

I heard a popping noise as the bullet left the gun and exploded through the glass bottle, shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Bulls eye!" I fist pumped the air. "That was so fucking cool!"

He smiled dryly. "Language, Rose."

"Sorry." I pursed my lips together.

Dimitri continued to shoot the gun over and over again. And although I was wearing protective ear plugs, my ears ached with a constant ringing. It was worth the discomfort though. Seeing Dimitri fire his gun repeatedly was a site to behold. He was skilled and confident in what he did, you could tell by the way he carried himself. Dimitri with a firearm was sexy. Dangerous. Powerful. Intimidating.

By the end of training, he kept his promise and allowed me to shot off a couple of rounds myself.

Dimitri replaced the clip and carefully handed the semi automatic to me, handle first.

I got into a nice solid stance—just like he had—and pointed the gun straight at the red head cardboard cutout. I shot.

"Damn it," I muttered. "Why did I miss? I had it aimed perfectly."

"No, you didn't," Dimitri arms were crossed casually. "Give it a couple more tries."

I did. None of the bullets made contact with their target.

I kicked a rock in frustration and swore loudly.

"You obviously didn't watch me carefully enough." he said.

"Yes, I did!" I protested. "I watched everything you did, Dimitri. You lick your lips before you pull the trigger—every damn time."

"What?"

"Nothing." I muttered.

"If you were observant enough," he said, pointing to the Janine cutout. "Each one of those bullets would have met their destination. Try it again."

I growled and got back into a aggressive formation.

"No, you're too tense." Dimitri came up behind me to correct my stance. With his chest pressed firmly against my back, he placed his arms over mine, his long graceful fingers curling over my hand on the gun. "You need to loosen up a bit."

I took in a sharp breath. "Look who's talking."

He chuckled and his breath tickled my neck. I shivered.

"Relax your arms." One of his hands slowly trailed up and began kneading miracles into my bicep.

"That's it," Dimitri whispered encouragingly. "Now keep your shoulders and chin straight. And…fire."

He placed his index finger over mine and applied pressure.

The bullet struck the redhead straight in the forehead, between her orange eyebrows.

"We did it! We did it!" I giggled.

"You did it." Dimitri released me and smiled. Respect and pride shone brightly in his dark eyes.

"Thank you."

He nodded, that genuine smile never faltered.

* * *

Of course, when you achieve something as impressive as I had, pride and bragging naturally come along with it. And in my case, it was excessive. But hey, I was proud of myself and I wanted to shout my accomplishments to the world.

"And then I ripped the gun out of its holster and shot her smack dab in the forehead. Her soul and shame…like literally…spilled into the dirt."

"It was a cardboard cutout, Rose. Not an actual human being." Lissa said at the same time Christian said. "You do know what _literally_ means, don't you?"

Christian and Lissa cuddled together on my bed, while I explained—in vivid detail—my experience at the shooting range with Dimitri today. Some may believe I over dramatized it, but I believe I told the story just right.

"Whatever, whatever." I waved my hand in the air. "You should have seen me out there. Yellow glasses, bullet proof vest, sleek black gun…sweat just pouring down my face. I looked like a true—"

"Badass." Christian and Lissa yelled in unison.

"Yeah. Rose…I love to hear about this. But you've told the same thing over and over again." she said.

"At least several dozen times." Christian added.

I shrugged. "I don't know, I though it was pretty cool."

"It is very cool." Lissa's head bobbed up and down. "Isn't it very cool, babe?"

She looked at Christian. He nodded. "It's very cool."

"But," Lissa yawned and stretched her arms out. "It's two hours past curfew and I'm getting pretty tired."

"Me too." Christian added.

I laughed. "You guys are terrible actors, ya know that?"

They both gazed at me, their faces carefully blank and innocent. I snorted.

"Just get out of here you two," I made a shooing motion. "I can tell you are dying to. Are my stories really that bad? Sheesh!"

"No they're wonderful, Rose. Honestly, they are." Lissa and Christian already had my door open, conspicuously trying to head out as fast as possible.

Eager much?

"Just with the killer on the loose and all," she shrugged, "It's safer for us to be in our rooms."

"Yeah, yeah. Get outta here. No need for lame excuses."

Lissa smiled and kissed my cheek. "Sweet dreams, Love you! See you tomorrow at lunch."

"Love you, too." I grinned.

"Good night, psychopath." Christian waved.

I flipped him off. "Night, hotstuff."

* * *

_"Shh, shh, Rosemarie," How does he know my name? "Just relax, hun…you'll be fine—for now."_

_I felt a pinch in the fold of my arm. The needle._

_A second later, I felt a burning sensation as he injected the contents into my blood stream._

_I screamed in agony. It wasn't enough. I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I could feel pain._

_I was useless._

_I felt like was being held underwater. I was trapped in my own body and couldn't escape. _

_"It's okay, it's okay…" Something metal shined against the light. A scalpel._

_I felt it cut deep into my skin. A horrible, stingy sensation. A crimson color reflected in his green eyes. My blood, my life line seeping out of me…_

"_Please, don't please…stop." I was begging for my life. _

_I didn't want it to end now. I wanted to grow old, have children…I wanted to see my 18__th__ birthday. I didn't deserve to die...not like this._

"_Hand me the electric saw," the doctor looked past me—I was unsure at who or what. "I need to get past her ribs so I can reach her heart."_

"_NO!"_

I shot up in my bed screaming, drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily. My body was shaking uncontrollably. I could still feel the poison leaking into my veins, the burning of the knife cutting viciously into my flesh. I lifted up my shirt to peer at my stomach. It was tan and smooth. No flesh wounds.

Still shaking, I searched the nightstand frantically for my inhaler. My fingers curled around the cool, white plastic as I brought it to my lips, greedily breathing in four hits. My lungs instantly felt better. But I was still absolutely terrified as the memories of my gruesome dream danced in my brain.

Tears stung my eyes and began falling down my cheeks. I clutched the sheets of my bed for dear life. I sobbed embarrassingly loud—the frustration, the fear, and the hopelessness nearly overwhelming. I felt like I was falling apart. The murders and these repetitive dreams I'd been having were really beginning to take their toll on my mind and body.

No matter how much I tried to deny it, I knew there was something bad coming—and it was heading straight for me. The only question was _when?_

It was always in the back of my mind.

And I honestly didn't want to know the answer. The more knowledge the more sorrow and worry. Ignorance was bliss.

My fingers brushed against the chain around my neck. A spare key to Dimitri's house.

I ran to my closet and searched for the jeans I'd worn on the day Dimitri had given me his number. It didn't take long—I had a very small wardrobe. Not that I was complaining, I loved my old jeans and comfy t-shirts.

I unlocked the multiple locks on my door and crept out into the hallway. The lighting was dim—it would be, it was the middle of the night. There was an eerie feeling in the air—like someone was watching me—that made my stomach knot in fear and caused my heart to speed up.

Blaming it on my paranoia and imagination, I simply tried to ignore it. With a trembling hand, I reached for the housing phone and dialed the numbers written on the paper.

Dimitri picked up on the fourth ring, sounding drowsy and sluggish.

"Belikov."

It was such a relief to hear his deep accented voice. I was so happy to hear him, to talk to him…just knowing he was there made everything better. I burst into tears again from the rise in emotion.

"Dimitri…c-can I-I come over?" My voice cracked numerous times and I'd be surprised if he understood what I had said.

"Roza?" His voice was alert and sharp now. I felt a pang of guilt for waking him up. I suddenly regretted calling him. I could have just sucked up the memories from that nightmare and went back to sleep, I didn't need to drag Dimitri into this situation. He already had enough on his plate.

"Roz-Rose? Tell me what's wrong. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, realized he couldn't see it, and answered. "No. I'm fine."

Dimitri let out a breath of relief. "Oh, Roza. You scared me."

I wiped the tears from my face roughly with the back of my hand. "I'm sorry…I ju-just wanted someone t-to talk to."

"Go back to your dorm. Lock the door. I'll be right over." And the phone line went dead.

I did as he said.

Although I was mad at myself for waking Dimitri up in the middle of the night, I didn't want to be alone. I needed someone there to comfort me. To hold me—okay maybe not hold, but if Dimitri offered, I wouldn't object.

A few moments later, I heard the door knob jiggling. I nearly had a hear attack, but then the door creaked open, revealing Dimitri—clad in cotton black pants and his duster. Nothing else. His jacket peek open just enough to give me a perfect view of his smooth, muscled chest.

"You know," I said. "If I were to get murdered…it would look really suspicious on your part, considering you're the only one with keys to my dorm."

"Don't talk like that." He growled, striding towards me. Dimitri wrapped his arms around me, in a strong and firm embrace. I instantly felt whole again, like Dimitri was the band-aid keeping me from falling apart.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my face pressed against the warm skin of his abdomen.

"For what?"

"For waking you up," I sniffled. "I had a nightmare."

He pulled back to study my face. "Are you ready to tell me about it?"

I nodded. "Yes."

I proceeded to tell Dimitri about the reoccurring nightmares I'd been having. I was careful not to leave anything out—bloody or not, Dimitri needed to know the truth. I relayed the conversation I had with Adrian about his dreams and psychic abilities to foresee certain parts of the future. Throughout my long tale, Dimitri's face was the perfect picture of calm and collected. However, I did notice the occasional jaw clench and narrowing of his eyes.

"I will protect you, Roza." He whispered. "I swear I will always protect you...if it's the last thing I do."

I reached down and grabbed his hand. "Please, don't talk like that."

Dimitri went deadly still staring at me. The only sound I could hear was our soft breathing. He stared and stared and stared. Never moving an inch. It was sort of frightening and creepy. He was like a ghost. If I wasn't looking directly at him, I wouldn't have known he was there. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.

"Let's go."

"What?"

Dimitri stood up and held out his hand for me. "Let's go. I have something that will take your mind off this nightmare you've been having."

I grabbed his hand and followed him to the door. "Where are we going?"

"To the gym."

"The gym?" I groaned. "But I'm going there for third period, can't it wait until then?"

"No." Dimitri locked my door with his key.

"Fine," I huffed. Arguing with Dimitri was useless when he set his mind to something. "Can I at least know why we're going to the Gym at this horrible hour?"

"To sparr."

"Sparr?" A spark of excitement ignited in my voice. "I like the way you think, Belikov. But I still don't know we're sparring in the middle of the night."

"I can tell you're scared, Roza. I can see it in your eyes," he paused, "Can you think of a better way to get your mind away from this bad dream? You need to feel in control of your life, to feel empowered…fighting is a great way to achieve that."

"I have another idea to get my mind off of the nightmare."

"And what is your great idea?" He lead me towards the gym, his hand pressed lightly against the small of my back.

"Sex."

Dimitri stopped mid-stride and stared at me.

"It was a joke, Comrade! Relax."

He laughed, but I could tell it was forced. There was fear and pain and tiredness swimming in the depths of those brown eyes.

Was he afraid for me?

We arrived at the Gym. It was deserted like I'd expected. Dimitri instructed me to stretch as he flicked on the lights and turned on the stereo. The hand that feeds by Nine inch nails spilled into the room.

"Interesting choice of music." I stretched out my hamstrings as Dimitri started stretches of his own.

He shrugged. "It's good when fighting."

After we were done warming up, he slipped off his duster and placed it on the ground.

My mouth went dry. I swallowed hard. I felt my cheeks heat up. My God, Dimitri was unbelievable when shirtless.

I shook my head vigorously. I had to stay focus. The only thing on my mind was finishing the sparring match with the Russian God in front of me.

I signed all of my senses over to the animalistic side. I became the predator. The hunter. I concentrated on the beat of the music as Dimitri and I circled each other on the mats, waiting for the other to mess up, to give an opening.

Finally, I found one. I jabbed my finger into his ribs. Dimitri grunted but otherwise kept his composure.

"No limits?" I asked.

"The power is in your hands. Give it your all. Don't hold back."

I released a front kick. I was aiming for his stomach but Dimitri anticipated it. He gripped my ankle roughly and threw it back towards me. I stumbled from the force and fell straight on my ass.

"Get up."

I did.

Dimitri's fist flew out into a diagonal uppercut. It connected with my cheek. I gasped. The pain on the right side of my cheek was searing. White spots danced before my vision. It felt like my skull had been ripped from my head. It soon became a numb feeling.

"Fight back."

"I am." I growled, battling off the dizziness his blow had brought.

"Obviously not hard enough."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Make me."

I successfully landed a spinning kick to his shoulder.

"That was good," Dimitri crouched down. "But you can do better."

And then he ran from me. I barely side stepped just in time for him to grab at thin air.

With his back towards me, I shoved my elbow into his kidneys, effectively bringing him to his knees. Dimitri was back on his feet in lightening speed, battle lust burning in those bottomless eyes.

"Impressive." he grinned.

I went for a left hook to his face but he blocked it effortlessly. Dimitri held both my fists in one of his hands as the other landed and uppercut to my stomach. I doubled over in pain. I didn't have time to recover as Dimitri's elbow shot out and caught me in the solar plexus.

"Fuck!" I hissed, rubbing the tender spot between my breast bone and stomach.

"Here, I'll make you a deal," Sweat glistened the bare skin of his body. His breathing came in ragged gasps. "If you can land another hit on me, I'll allow you to sleep in tomorrow."

"Deal."

I released a fury of kicks and punches, targeting his face and abdomen. Dimitri blocked all of them with ease.

"You went easy on me before."

He shrugged. "I had to. Do you give up?"

"Hell to the no." I shook my head.

Using all the weight of my body, I lifted my leg into a roundhouse kick that I intended for his head. It never made contact. Instead, Dimitri grabbed my calve mid-air and yanked me towards his body. I fell flat on my stomach and the wind left my lungs with a loud whooshing sound.

The pain was indescribable. In those few seconds, without any oxygen—much like it had been with my other asthma attacks—it felt like the end of the world. You can't help but feel like you're going to die. It felt like someone was holding a plastic bag over my head. Panic rose inside of me in pounding waves.

Dimitri crouched down beside me and wordlessly handed over my inhaler. Thank you God. I'll never say anything bad about you again. I might even consider going to church on Sundays—probably not.

I wanted to thank Dimitri for wisely bringing my inhaler along with us to the gym, but I was currently incapable of speech. I knew he understood that.

After regulating my breathing, I stood on my feet. "I give up."

"You do?" he cocked an eyebrow, his face amused.

"Yeah," I nodded in defeat.

"I'll give you a second chance," he crossed his arms. "If I haven't got you pinned within the next twenty seconds, I'll let you sleep in for the next two weeks."

Dimitri knew I couldn't resist a challenge like that.

"Bring it, Big boy." I grinned.

He definitely brought it. I fought and kicked and screamed with all I had in me, but I was no match for Dimitri. He brought me to my knees as he shoved an elbow to the back of my neck and pounced on my body, like a lion with a gazelle.

"You won."

"Indeed, I did." Dimitri smiled down at me. His entire body was pressed against me. His waist smashed against mine, immobilizing me. Being in this type of proximity with him was not good for me, I wanted him so badly…And knowing that I would never have him, ached my heart.

I covered my emotions with attitude. "Are you going to get off me…or are we planning on staying like this all night?"

Dimitri looked momentarily startled and embarrassed. "Of course not, I apologize."

He gracefully stood up, balancing on the balls of his feet. His hand shot out, I took it and he helped me stand up.

"Well," I cleared my throat uncomfortably. The air around us suddenly became awkward. "I guess this is good night. Thanks for coming by and keeping me company, it really helped out with the nightmare and all. And the fighting—" I grinned. "It was good too, you were right. I felt in control—even though I totally had my ass handed to me."

Dimitri chuckled. "You did wonderful, Rose. I am very impressed with how you've been improving since your arrival here at St. Augustine's."

I nodded. "Well, good night, Comrade."

With one last glance, I headed for the gym doors.

I had barely reached for the door handle when he called out my name.

I turned around to face him. "Yeah?"

"If you are still scared or feel uneasy in your room," he scratched the back of his neck. "I would prefer you come stay with me tonight—if you feel comfortable enough."

I grinned. "Are you inviting me to a sleep over?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, I am inviting that you come over to my home so I can keep you company. So I can keep you safe. With these dreams you and Adrian are having, I'm not going to lie...it is extremely concerning and worrisome."

"I know." I grimaced.

"But as I have said, the choice is yours. You are welcome to sleep in my bed, I will stay on the couch. We can watch a movie and I'll order us some Chinese food—"

"Where can you get Chinese at—" I glanced at the clock behind his head. "2 AM?"

"I have my sources. But I cannot tell you, it is strictly General secrets."

I giggled, unable to help myself. I was practically bursting with excitement and happiness. A night with Dimitri, in his apartment, watching movies? Hell yeah!

Of course I didn't shout that out loud, but I screamed it in my brain over and over again. In a collective voice, I spoke. "Alright…sounds good. I really don't feel like being alone anyways."

Dimitri smiled, the content and serenity shone brightly in his eyes. "Alright, come on. It is cold outside."

He slipped into his brown duster, came up next to me, and pulled the right side open. He beckoned me towards him.

I gulped and went to him. Dimitri pulled me inside the large coat. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face against the overheated skin of his rib cage. The smell of aftershave mingled with his sweat flooded my senses. The heavenly masculine scent was overwhelming. I closed my eyes and relished in it.

Dimitri led me out of the gym and towards the staff apartment complex.

We passed multiple guards on duty and they didn't even bat an eyelash at me and Dimitri. He could have been the murderer for all they knew—hello! I was a teenage girl being carried away by a grown man. That was what truly scared me about Dimitri's power and influence here at the Military Academy.

Dimitri unlocked the door to his home, and like a true gentleman, held it open for me as I entered first. The air inside was toasty—a good change from the freezing weather outside. His apartment smelled of crisp, clean linen and soap. It was comforting and familiar.

"Would you like something to drink?" he hung his duster on the coat rack.

"Anything but Pedialyte would be great."

Dimitri chuckled and headed towards the kitchen. I followed.

"Alright," he leaned into the fridge, scouring the shelves. "I have bottled water, orange juice, and Dr. Pepper."

"Dr. Pepper?" I raised both of my brows. "That seems a little out of place next to your other healthy food and beverage choices."

He shrugged. "I knew it was your favorite, so I had the cafeteria order me a few boxes. Just in case."

My heart warmed at that. I couldn't help but smile. "A Dr. Pepper would be great, thank you."

Dimitri nodded and tossed me one. I cracked open the top and took four big gulps. "Ah," I patted my stomach. "That really quenched the beast within."

"I'm glad," he said. "Now I'm just going to step out so I can order some Chinese food."

He pulled the house phone from its charger and headed out to the balcony, shutting the door softly behind him.

I went to the living room and raided his DVD shelf of John Wayne movies. After finding nothing that caught my eye—considering they all looked the same, I closed my eyes and chose at random. My hand came back with _She Wore a Yellow Ribbon._

"Oh, joy!" I feigned excitement.

"Are you mocking my John Wayne movies?"

I screamed. "God, damn it, Dimitri! You scared the hell out of me. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I didn't sneak up on you," he paused. "You were just careless and unobservant. You should always be on guard."

"Even in the middle of the night?" I asked.

"Especially in the middle of the night. You don't know what monsters are lurking in the shadows."

"Monsters like you?"

"I am not a monster," he grinned. "I am one of the good guys."

"Could have fooled me with all those damn laps you have me run every morning." I muttered.

Dimitri ignored me. "I ordered Chinese; they'll be here within the hour."

"Yum. I'll put in the DVD."

He nodded and went to fetch the blanket off his bed. Dimitri laid it on the ground for us. I plopped down and inhaled the minty scent of aftershave. I bit back a moan.

Dimitri laid down beside me at a safe distance. We watched the damn John Wayne movie and I had to admit it was a lot funner than I'd expected. I laughed at certain parts of the movie when Dimitri would quote the line right before John Wayne would say it, or simply talk along with the characters.

Before I knew it, our food had arrived and we devoured it. Well I did. I ended up eating all of my helpings, and stealing a few bites from Dimitri's plate—receiving a few playful glares.

Later that night, after Dimitri had cleaned up, I snuggled under the covers with my Russian God beside me. Not touching—but more intimate than it should have been.

"Thank you." I whispered, gazing into his chocolate brown eyes.

"For what?"

"For everything you did for me tonight, I really value that you stayed with me." I paused. "After that nightmare—" I shook the bad memory away. "I was scared. I didn't want to be alone. So, thank you for keeping me company. I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight if you weren't here."

"And why is that?" He tucked a lock of stray hair behind my ear, calloused fingers brushing along my temple.

"I didn't feel safe."

"You're safe now, I promise I will always protect you with my life." He whispered. "Sleep now, Roza."

The black shadows consumed me. I was beside my Russian God. I was safe. For now. And that was all that mattered. Life was good.


	10. Chapter 10: Fight for your right

**A/N:**

All of you are amazing, thank you so much! :-)

I received an email last chapter asking if Dimitri was the murderer, and I want to make this clear to everyone…he is the good guy!

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.**

* * *

"But I don't wanna!" I shoved at Dimitri's chest.

His nostrils flared, eyes narrowed. "Get on there!"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Dimitri swore loudly in Russian. "Fine, I will put you up there."

He sprinted towards me, I screamed and booked it in the opposite direction. I only got five steps before being confined in his arms.

"I understand that you are afraid of heights, but this is a big part of your training and you will not pass the trials if you do not practice this test now."

"I despise you." I sneered.

"You can loathe me all you want, but you're holding up your fellow cadets…so get your ass up there, Hathaway!"

Dimitri released me and jabbed a finger towards the giant rope. It swayed back and forth, hung from the massive tree above.

"Do I have tooooo?" I dragged out the last word in a real whiny voice, knowing it would irritate the hell out of my mentor.

"Yes," his face was a boiling pot of Lava. "You have to."

I growled and stomped over to the rope, my hands gripped around the poky fabric, and I hopped on. I wrapped the rope around my right leg and pinched it with my other.

"Way to go, Hathaway!" Mason cheered. I flashed him a charming smile to which he returned.

"Alright," Dimitri cleared his throat harshly. "You know the drill. 60 seconds to get up the rope, 15 seconds to climb onto the podium, and 20 seconds to come down again."

"Piece of cake, General Belikov. Give me something worth my while." That was a lie. I was deathly afraid of heights.

"Remember, Ms. Hathaway," Both of his brows raised in a warning gesture. "You cannot hit the water, and if you do, you start all over again…and again, and again, and again. Until you get it correctly."

"Got cha."

"Ms. Hathaway…" Stan warned.

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Oh, I'm sorry. I meant, _yes sir!_"

Dimitri nodded, pressed the silver whistle to his mouth, glanced at his watch, and blew.

With my hands above me, I used all of the strength in my body to pull myself up a few feet. I took a deep breath and anchored my feet again. I repeated the steps until I reached the top.

"35 seconds, Hathaway!" Dimitri barked.

_Don't look down, don't look down._ I chanted to myself. I was well aware that if I did, I'd get dizzy and probably fall from the rope—that wasn't such a good idea, considering I was 20 feet in the air. Broken bones hurt like a bitch.

I swung the rope back and forth, using my body to move it. I tried not to panic when I realized I was sweating profusely and the grip I had was slipping.

"25 seconds!"

"Thanks, I really needed that extra added pressure." I muttered.

Deciding it was now or never, I propelled my body off the rope. I landed with a loud thud on the podium. It was a giant piece of wood, that didn't look very sturdy or reliable, jammed in the branches of the giant tree.

"15 seconds!"

Once the rope swung back to me, I snatched it up.

I had no choice but to look down at the ground.

My breathing came in ragged gasps.

"You can do it, Little Cadet!"

"Shut the fuck up, Adrian." I rested a hand on one knee. "It's a lot higher than it looks!"

"10 seconds!" Dimitri yelled. "Come on, Ms. Hathaway…unless you would like to do it all over again?"

"Hell no." I pulled the rope back to the edge of the podium, gripped tight, and made a run for it.

I flew through the air; the pit of my stomach did a flip flop, like the feeling you get when you're on a roller coaster.

I soared over the muddy waters, let go of the rope, and landed on the forest ground.

"I did it!" I screamed victoriously.

The crowd applauded, whistled, and screamed out my name. I grinned like an idiot.

Dimitri scribbled something down on his clipboard, strode over to where I was standing, and gave me a small smile.

"Good job."

I glanced around to make sure no one was in hearing distance. "Thanks, Comrade. I couldn't have done it without your perseverance and encouraging swear words in Russian."

He chuckled whole-heartedly, brown eyes gleaming. "I'm proud of you, Roza."

Dimitri then did something that stunned me. He leaned down, our faces only inches apart, and pressed his lips to the skin of my cheek. He allowed them to linger for a moment, his warm breath tickling my face, before pulling back.

With one last intense glance, he turned around and began barking out orders to the next student.

I self consciously raised my fingertips to the spot on my cheek where Dimitri had kissed me; the skin burned and tingled with the lingering affects. I smiled triumphantly.

* * *

The small ball of orange fur in my arms meowed, gazing at me intently with wide green eyes. I nearly cracked from the cuteness.

"Stop it! You're for Lissa, I'm not keeping you."

I struck Lissa's wooden door with my fist. The banging echoed loudly, causing the kitty to jump and hide by stuffing his tiny head between my arm and rib cage.

"Aww, don't be scared, Sweetie." I spoke in a high-pitched voice that all adoring pet owners use. "It's okay. Auntie Rose will keep you safe. And your new mommy and daddy are going to wuv you berry much."

I felt the weight of their gaze. My head snapped up to meet a pair of amused jade green eyes and sardonic ice-blue eyes.

"What?" I said, a little too defensively. "He's cute. And he's yours."

I tossed the kitten into Lissa's arms as I pushed my way through the threshold and plopped down on her bed. The covers were a bright neon pink covered in tiny rainbows and glittery unicorns. Cute.

"What is this?" Christian demanded, pointing at Lissa with the kitten cradled gently in her hands. She was cooing at it adoringly as the kitten purred and rubbed its furry face and whiskers across her cheek.

I snorted. "It's a kitten, duh."

"Oh, I know exactly what it is. Where did you find it?"

"_It? It?" _Lissa exclaimed. "This baby is _not_ an it. Kitty is a—" she lifted up his tail. "boy. With feelings and love to give. _Do not _call him an it."

I grinned at Christian victoriously. "I found this little guy rummaging through the cafeteria trash can. I named him Garbage."

Christian barked out a harsh laugh. Lissa scowled. "His name will not be Garbage. He deserves better than that. I cannot believe you found him in the trashcan looking for food…poor little guy, he's probably had a tough life, and he's only a baby."

Lissa held him up to her face, and in that same squeaky-excited voice I'd used early, spoke fondly to her new pet. "You're the cutest kitten in the world, aren't you? Aren't you, honey? You're so sweet I just want to hug you and kiss you all over."

"You might want to give Garbage a bath first," Christian's nose scrunched up. "He reeks from swimming in the trash."

"I think I'm going to name him Oscar." She ignored Christian, planting a smooch to the kittens pink nose. "I love you already, baby boy."

"I knew you'd love him. Oscar needs a good mommy like you. Don't worry, he shouldn't be hungry yet…he ate my whole bag of chips on the way over."

"Thank you, Rose. For giving him to me." She ran over and crushed me into a fierce hug, Oscar getting sandwiched between the two of us. He grunted in protest.

"Oops, sorry Oscar." I giggled. Lissa pulled back to sit beside me on the bed.

"He's cute, isn't he?" She scratched his ear. The kitten closed his eyes in pleasure.

"Oh, yeah," I nodded in agreement. "He's so cute…I just want to squeeze his tiny body until his head pops off. And then I want to mount it on the wall."

Lissa's eyes widened in horror. Christian grinned deviously.

"Not literally, of course." I added hastily, attempting to change the subject. "Want to give him a bath? Christian was right, this little rascal needs it."

Lissa nodded eagerly before running off to her bathroom. I followed.

"Hey, Babe," Christian called out. In perfect sync, Lissa and I swiveled our heads to glance at him—my head turn carried a little more attitude.

"Want to give me a bath while you're at it?" he winked.

I rolled my eyes. Lissa grinned like a cat, it was sexy and dangerous. "Later."

"Eww!" I screamed like a 5 year old and covered my ears. "You two are so gross!"

Lissa set the orange kitten on the counter and flicked on the faucet, waited for it to turn a lukewarm temperature, and pushed down on the plug. The sink began to fill up.

I could tell Oscar was already attached to Lissa, as she went to retrieve the soap from the shower, he hopped off the counter to follow her. I smiled, smug with myself for getting her such a wonderful gift that she loved dearly.

Lissa came back a moment later, an assortment of soaps and colored sponges in her arms, Oscar following at her feet.

She poured a generous amount of green-apple and coconut shampoo into the water, it was a strange combination, but I liked it. After the sink was overloaded with bubbles, Lissa scooped Oscar into her arms, and after a few kisses, plopped him into his bath.

I expected the kitty to freak out from being in the water—run, hiss, scratch—but he seemed to enjoy it. I think Oscar realized it was time for him to get cleaned, he new he smelled of garbage.

After Lissa and I were done scrubbing Oscars orange fur until it was squeaky clean, I unplugged the sink and let the filthy murky-brown water drain away.

Oscar hopped onto the counter and looked at us innocently with those big green eyes.

"Run, Lissa!" I screamed in horror.

It was already too late.

The kitty shook off like a wet dog, covering me and Lissa in water droplets.

We screamed and giggled in unison.

She grabbed the towel off the wrack. I picked up Oscar, put his body to my nose, and breathed him in.

"He smells like apples and coconuts. My favorite!"

Lissa smiled as she wrapped the towel around him and took the kitten out of my arms.

"You're all clean now, aren't you baby?" she cooed. Oscar yawned and laid his head against her small chest. "You're tired too, huh? Let's get you into bed with daddy."

She trotted into the living room. Christian lounged in her bed. He saw us come in and guiltily clicked off a lifetime movie.

"There's daddy!" Lissa ran over and jumped into bed beside Christian, propped on her knees. She placed Oscar onto his chest.

"Daddy?" His ice blue eyes widened.

"And I'm his Mommy." She cracked a thousand-watt smile.

"I'm not going to lie, babe," Christian gazed at Oscar while he danced in circles, getting a comfortable spot on his stomach, and shut his green eyes for sleep. "I thought our children were going to be a lot cuter than this…maybe a little less furry too."

Lissa giggled. "They will be less furry, but for now, while we're still young…this is our baby."

Christian sat up—stirring a grumpy Oscar in the process—and planted a kiss to Lissa's forehead. "Alright, I'll love him as my own."

She beamed at him.

"Aww, what a cute family moment," I snickered. "This scene just melts my heart."

"That takes talent—considering how cold your heart is." Christian shut his eyes, his arms rested casually behind his head.

I launched a pillow at his face, he caught it mid-air, eyes still closed. "Thanks. I needed one." He stuffed the pillow behind him.

I huffed.

Lissa cuddled up to Christian's side, he wrapped an arm around her, his other hand snaked over and began softly petting Oscar.

I clicked off the light and took my usual spot on the lime-green bean bag in the corner. Lissa flicked on some T.V. show that made Christian and I groan.

I drifted off to sleep some time later.

I awoke from the nightmare with a start, breathing hard and covered in a thin layer of sweat. I glanced at the clock. _2:57AM._

I hissed a curse word under my breath and stood up. My whole body flushed with hot and cold. It was a disorienting feeling. And I'd had it every night—thanks to the same reoccurring nightmare.

I stretched out my stiff muscles. Lissa and Christian lay on the bed, snuggled up together with Oscar between them—apparently undisturbed from my screaming and thrashing night terrors.

The only light in the room came from the blaring T.V. I grabbed the remote from the nightstand and turned the volume down about 20 notches.

I took a deep calming breath and unconsciously fingered the chain around my neck. Dimitri. The fear and aftershocks of my dream eased just thinking about him.

I smiled giddily thinking of our morning together. Waking up in his home. I'd panicked at first when I discovered he wasn't beside me, but then I smelt the aroma of bacon and eggs wafting from the kitchen. Watching Dimitri cook shirtless was a good way to start off the day.

I tiptoed out of Christian and Lissa's room and shut the door softly behind me. I dug in the pocket of my jeans until I found the spare key to her room—best friends always have keys to their best friends dorm.

After locking the door, I ran down the pitch-black hallway, snatched up the house phone, and dialed Dimitri's number. He didn't pick up. I tried unsuccessfully four more times before slamming the phone down in frustration.

Figuring he was asleep, I used my ninja skills to sneak over to the staff apartment complex. I passed multiple guards on the way, and it was nearly too easy. After ducking by a few more bushes and hiding in the shadows of buildings, I arrived at Dimitri's apartment door.

I paused before knocking, suddenly becoming nervous and self-conscious. Should I really wake up Dimitri in the middle of the night…_again_?

I knew the answer instantly as I pushed on the doorbell. I didn't want to be alone. Dimitri had made it clear that I was welcome to his home anytime I felt scared or unsafe in my room—or if I plain just wanted to have his company. And I wanted to be around him right now, especially since I'd just had that damn nightmare.

I found it strange that Dimitri didn't answer his door, his lights were on, so without another thought, I stuck the key that was dangling around my neck into the hole and turned. The door creaked open until it banged lightly against the wall.

The pit of my stomach tightened in fear when I took in the sight in front of me. The living room that had been neat and spotless when I left this morning was now a mess. John Wayne movies were scattered all over the carpet, the DVD shelf tipped over. The vase had been knocked off its stand, shattered into a thousand sharp pieces.

_Was Dimitri okay?_

Adrenaline pumped through my veins.

I walked to the kitchen to find it in disarray, much like the living room. Broken dishes, a bottle of red wine—which I believed to be blood for a heart-stopping moment—spilled all over the floor, surrounded by the green glass of its bottle.

And that's when I heard shouting from the bedroom. Dimitri's shouting.

I ran to his bedroom. What I saw took my breath away. Dimitri lying on the bed. A woman on top of him, straddling his waist, kissing his lips. She had a mass of raven black hair and a petite body. Tasha.

Dimitri growled deep in his throat, lifted Tasha off of him, and threw her roughly to the ground.

I gasped, feeling the sting of tears.

His head snapped up, his dark eyes focusing in on me. The anger from his face faded, crumpling into pain and sadness.

"Roza?"

I ran.

Hearing Dimitri's pursuing foot steps from behind gave me the drive to push my legs harder. I flung open his front door and clumsily fell down the steps—the ones I'd forgotten about.

Before I could recover, I was pulled from the ground and onto my feet. I tried to run, but Dimitri grabbed my waist, forcefully pulling me into his body.

"Get off me!" I screamed, shoving my elbow into his stomach. He grunted.

Dimitri's arms captured me, encircling around my body, squeezing tighter like an Anaconda, as I struggled to get out of his iron grasp.

"It's not what you think." he growled, I slammed my foot down on his.

From the tiny movement I could manage with my hands, I raked them down his forearms. My fingernails came back coated in red liquid. Dimitri's blood.

"Let go of me," I snarled. "Somebody help me! Please someone!"

"Let me explain." His knee crushed into my back, stealing my breath away.

It accomplished what Dimitri had wanted. It stopped me from screaming, from struggling. I fell limp in his arms, shocked. He flipped me around so I could face him, his hands supporting the weight of my body.

"What happened in there, it's not what you think." Dimitri said, eyes pleading with me to believe him. I stared at him for minutes until I could finally regain the ability to talk.

I laughed bitterly. "When I saw how messy your apartment was, I feared you might have been hurt." I shook my head, traitor tears spilling out of my eyes. "Now I know that it was probably from you fucking Tasha. I didn't think you'd be the type into that crazy, wild sex. Tell me, Dimitri, do ya like whips and chains too?"

"It's not what it looks like, if you'd shut your fucking mouth and listen to me explain." his tone was cold and menacing, face livid. "Tasha and I—"

I lifted my hand to silent him. "Please, just stop. You've already hurt me so much…just stop talking."

"Roza…" his tone bled misery and poignancy. The expression on his face shattered my heart into a million places.

"Just please, let me go," my tone was weak and tired. "I need to be alone right now."

Dimitri searched my face thoroughly for one uncomfortable moment, nodded, and reluctantly released me. I backed up a few feet and stared at him. I let all the anger and hatred and frustration from what I'd seen tonight flow back into me. Anger for leaving myself vulnerable to him, hatred because he'd betrayed me, and frustration because I knew he'd never be mine. I pictured Tasha kissing Dimitri. That drove me over the edge.

I pulled my fist back and struck his face. I hear a sickening cracking noise and crimson sprayed from Dimitri's nose.

I ran.

I ran and ran and ran until I reached the high-school building—I found it strange that Lissa decided to choose living in the high-school building instead of the staff complex, considering she was over 18 and worked here, but she'd explained to me that she felt more comfortable being around kids her age...and not hard-asses like Dimitri—okay, maybe I'd added that last part.

My hands were shaking uncontrollably, I tried several times before finally getting the key into the hole and unlocking it. I flung open the door.

"LISSA, CHRISTIAN!" I exclaimed.

Simultaneously, the two of them shot up in the bed. Oscar meowed—upset that someone had disturbed his sleep, and climbed over to the pillow where he promptly fell asleep. Pieces of black hair stuck out in all different directions from Christians head, he rubbed his eyes sleepily. He actually looked kind of sexy. Not that I'd dare to admit that out loud.

"What is it? Is the murderer out there?" Lissa screamed, platinum blonde hair a cute mess.

"What?" Christian exclaimed, still a bit disoriented from sleep. "The killer is after you?"

Before I could respond with a very stern _NO_, he jumped to his feet and ripped the lamp from the nightstand. He swung it around like a madman, hitting the wall and busting the light bulb in the process.

"Is the murderer out there?" he pointed towards the hallway, running towards it.

"What? No."

Christian stood in the middle of the hallway, spinning around in circles, searching for the killer.

"Christian, what are you doing? I never said—"

"Where the fuck are you?" he shouted. "Don't be a pussy, come out. You want to target women who are smaller than you? You want to mess with my girl and her best friend? I say fuck that. Take me on. I'm a man. Go up against someone who can put up a decent fight."

I wanted to release a hilarious comment on the man part, but I was too amused and a bit startled by the situation.

"Come on. What are you waiting for?" Christian grasped the lamp in both his hands like a baseball bat, and made a horizontal swing.

"Jesus, and he calls me a psycho." I muttered before running up and clamping a hand over his mouth. "No one is after me. Stop screaming or else you're going to capture the attention of the guards."

He nodded in understanding.

I let him go.

"The murderer isn't after you?" Christian asked bewildered.

"No."

He relaxed tremendously. "That's a damn shame, I was ready to kick some ass."

"Sure you were," I snorted.

"Is everything okay out here?" Lissa's face was frightened, Oscar tucked tightly in her arms. After what just happened, the damn kitten was still asleep.

"It's okay, babe," Christian wrapped protective arms around her. "Just a little misunderstanding."

He gave me a pointed look, I responded by sticking my tongue out.

Lissa shot me a dubious glance. "Is…Is everything okay, Rose?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you barge into my room screaming?"

"Ah, about that…" I scratched my shoulder. "We're leaving St. Augustine's."

Lissa's mouth fell open in shock. Christian cracked the biggest grin.

"That's right. Pack your things. We're going on a road trip." I said.

"Why? What's wrong, Rose?" her jade green eyes narrowed.

"Everything." I threw my hands up. "There's a killer on the loose, the police don't have the slightest clue who is committing these crimes. Teenage girls are getting brutally murdered. Do you really want to sit around until it happens to us, Liss? I'd like to keep all of my organs."

She grimaced, probably at the mental image floating around her brain.

Lissa looked scared, like a child left alone in a big city. She was confused. She didn't know how to take the next step. I was going to be the one to push her into it.

"Let's go, pack up the necessities: Toothbrush, hairbrush, Clothes, PJ's. Whatever the fuck it is, pack it, and pack it quick." I instructed.

"I won't leave without Christian." Lissa said firmly, grasping onto his forearm protectively.

"I knew you wouldn't," I chuckled. "Get your shit packed, Hotstuff."

He grinned and fist pumped. "Let's go, I'm so ready to get out of this hellhole."

The smile that stretched across Lissa's face swelled my heart. She had complete faith and trust in me and this crazy mission. I only hoped I deserved it.

"How long do you think we'll be gone on this," she quoted the air. "_road trip_?"

I shrugged. "Not forever. Just until the police catch this lunatic."

"Okay," Lissa looked relieved. "I'll go with you—as long as you promise to eventually come back here to St. Augustine's."

"I promise to come back, Vasilisa Dragomir." I assured her. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Lissa covered her ears. "Don't talk like that!"

"Whatever, whatever," I waved my hands impatiently. "Just pack your things, I'll meet you back here in 10 minutes."

I ran towards my room.

"I'm bringing Oscar, too." She called after me.

I ripped the duffel bag from my closet and began stuffing clothes in frantically. I packed everything I needed to survive: Jeans, T-shirts, clean underwear, tooth brush, hair brush, and a snickers bar. I hoped this one didn't melt all over my clothes like the last one had.

I hadn't realized until now that Dimitri and Lissa were the only things tying me down to this school. Dimitri broke his strings, now all I had to worry about was Lissa. Now that my best friend—and her pain-in-the-ass boyfriend—were coming along with me, I was free to leave the military academy behind.

The reason I wanted to flee was because I wasn't about to sit around and wait for the killer to come to us. I was running away from my problems to keep myself and—more importantly—Lissa safe. Seeing Tasha all over Dimitri finalized my decision in leaving the academy.

I was running away from life as I knew it. The life I had built around myself just merely three months ago. The life I had become familiar with. The life I was comfortable with, the one I'd fit into—the life I loved.

I met Lissa and Christian outside her dorm. Christian was rolling one giant pink suitcase—I'm assuming belonged to Lissa—a black duffel bag, and Lissa's sequined purse draped over his shoulder. Lissa carried her giant beach bag on one arm.

"Where's Oscar?" I asked.

She pointed to the bag and carefully opened it. Inside was the orange kitten, asleep, snuggled in a fleece blanket, and cuddled next to a stuffed animal Garfield.

"I didn't want him to feel alone." she whispered, careful not to wake Oscar.

I giggled. "They're like twins."

_Ahem._ Christian cleared his throat harshly. "If you want to get out of here before the school awakens which is in—" he glanced at his watch. "45 minutes."

I gasped. "What time is it?"

"5:45AM."

"I guess we took longer to pack than we originally thought." Lissa slid me an amused smile.

"Shit," I hissed. "Dimitri's going to be awake and walking the grounds. It's nearly time for morning practice."

I groaned and kicked the wall.

"We'll just have to be extra careful." Christian offered.

"Like ninja turtles." Lissa said.

I grinned. "Like teenage mutant ninja turtles."

I shot out my hand. "Team work."

Christian and Lissa place their hands over mine. "We're in this together."

He howled. "Let's do this!"

We tip toed out of the building, I was in the lead. It was dawn, which meant that we were more vulnerable to passing eyes. I instructed Lissa and Christian to press their bodies against the wall of the building and slide across it—which was sort of awkward for Christian, considering he was carrying multiple over-sized bags, one of which was neon pink, making us stick out like a sore thumb in the watchful eyes of the guards.

So far, by some miracle, we were extremely blessed not to have been caught or run into anyone—and if we did, we'd be severely punished—excluding Lissa—by Dimitri's wrath. Oh joy.

"Where's your car, Liss?" I whispered.

"Over there," she pointed towards a black car.

"The Mercedes roadster?"

She nodded.

"Shit," I grinned. "How in the hell did you afford that?"

Lissa shrugged. "Having rich parents has some exceptional perks."

"Indeed."

Lissa's car was appreciatively 20 yards away, just in our reach, I could virtually taste freedom on the tip of my tongue.

And that's when Dimitri popped out of nowhere.

I dropped down behind the bushes, yanking Christian and Lissa along with me.

Lissa stumbled clumsily and fell to the ground with a loud, _thump._

Dimitri—only five feet away from us—heard the noise and abruptly stopped walking, his head snapped over, staring at the bush suspiciously with narrowed eyes.

'_Don't move.' _ I mouthed to Lissa and Christian. They nodded.

'_I said, don't move.'_

I glanced back at Dimitri—who was still glaring at our bush. I'd clearly broken his nose earlier with the punch I'd landed on him, his nose was bandaged and he was sporting two nasty black eyes. I felt a pang of guilt for causing him pain—no matter how much Dimitri had caused me heartache, I never should have punched him. I loved Dimitri. I wanted to protect him—not cause him physical harm.

Dimitri looked tired, the weary lines on his forehead aging him a good 7 years. If I had to put money on it, I'd say that he hadn't caught any sleep.

I had a feeling he knew something was going on, that someone or something was behind the bush—Not me of course, if he suspected it was, I'd be dragged away immediately—but he was too exhausted to check it out, so with one last hard glance, he stalked away. I let out a breath of relief when the high-school doors shut behind his form.

"Alright, let's go! We have to hurry, he'll be out soon once he finds that I'm not in my dorm." I ushered them towards the car.

Lissa and Christian smiled amusedly when I plunged to the ground and did the army crawl. And just to lighten up the tense mood, I began humming the Mission Impossible theme song. I accomplished the mission of getting them to laugh.

Once the bags were thrown into Lissa's black Mercedes roadster, Christian and I were stuffed into the trunk.

"Oh, sorry, Christian." I _accidentally _hit him in the face with my elbow.

"Oh, sorry, Rose." he _accidentally_ head butted me.

"Fuck!" I hissed at the same time Christian groaned in pain.

"I guess no one really wins when it comes to head butting." he laughed, rubbing the red spot on his forehead.

Lissa popped her head in the trunk, one arm extended on the door, ready to close it.

"Do you want to explain it to me again why the two of you have to hide in the trunk?" she asked.

"Because if the guards by the gate see us...then they'll know we're running away. You work here, they won't think anything of you leaving, right?"

Lissa nodded. "What's the story?"

"You're going to visit your parents for Thanksgiving. You've taken an extra long vacation and should be back at St. Augustine's before winter break. Do you think you can handle saying all of that? You also have to be very convincing and believable, if the guards even get the slightest indication you may be deceiving them," I paused to capture a breath. "They'll search your car…and we all know what will happen subsequently."

Lissa tapped her manicured fingers against her chin, deep in thought. "I am a very convincing actress. I can do this. Do you want me to pull out the Crocodile tears?"

"Only if it is absolutely necessary."

"Got cha. I'll see you guys soon, love you."

"Love you, too." I said.

"Babe?" Christian called out.

"Hmm?" Lissa asked.

"Kissy before you leave?"

I snorted.

"I'm only gonna be gone for a few minutes."

"A few minutes too long." he pouted. "I am astonished that you will not miss me as much as I will miss you."

"Of course I'll miss you greatly. What would make you think otherwise?"

"Just give him a damn kiss!" I intolerantly exclaimed.

Lissa giggled before leaning down to press her lips to his, it was an awkward position, considering she had to practically lay on top of me to get to Christian.

"Alright, alright!" I wildly flailed my arms. "We're already lacking oxygen in here, I don't need you two breathing all heavily and sucking it right up."

Lissa laughed, leaned up, uttered a quick goodbye and slammed the trunk shut. Everything went entirely black. The only sounds were our soft breathing, and my stomach growling hungrily. A few moments later, I heard the stir off the engine and the car took off, smooth and slow.

"Man this sucks." Christian coughed. "Especially having to spoon with you in this tight ass space."

"The only tight ass in here is you."

"I knew you'd be thinking about my ass."

"Did you eat Doritos?"

"Hmm?"

"Doritos, the nacho cheese chips. High in fat and carbohydrates. Delicious. I can smell them heavily on you."

"Oh," he chuckled. "No I did not eat any of them, but the precious kitty did as an early breakfast."

"He's a fatty."

"I know, but he's a cute fatty."

"Agreed."

"Hey, Psycho?"

"Yeah?"

"Want to hear a funny joke?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"What has two thumbs and loves a blow job?"

I grimaced.

"In case you didn't know," he whispered close my ear. "I have two thumbs and I'm pointing at myself. So it's me!"

The car came to a sudden halt. I shushed Christian by elbowing him in the stomach and waited anxiously for Lissa to get past the guards.

After ten agonizing minutes—with the fear of Dimitri ripping open the trunk, a furious expression on his face, at any moment—the cars engine roared and sped off.

"Thank God." I emitted a breath of relief.

"Amen to that." Christian uttered.

Merely minutes later, the car pulled to another stop. This time Lissa popped open the trunk and let us out.

I made a noise of approval and hopped out to stretch my aching neck and cracked my back.

I snatched the keys out of Lissa's hand. "I'm driving. And you're getting shotgun. Don't let Christian talk you out of it, he only wants your seat."

"Controlling bitch." he said.

"Lisssss," I whined. "Tell your boyfriend to be nice to me."

She smacked the back of his head. "Be nice to my best friend. I'm tired, I don't want to deal with all of this crap."

Without another word, she walked over to the passenger side, and slipped into the car.

"You evil bitch," Christian's ice blue eyes narrowed, he shook his head. "She was so innocent and sweet before she met you."

I grinned and stuck out my tongue. "She was boring before she met me. I bring excitement to her life, I'm her burning fire."

"No," he paused. "I am her burning fire."

After hopping into the driver's seat of the Mercedes roadster, I put the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. I slammed on the gas pedal.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Christian leaned forward from the back seat, head rested on his fist.

"The plan is to crash at a motel tonight, and then hit Lissa's parents house tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good." Lissa yawned.

"You two just get some sleep, I'll figure everything out."

They mumbled their good nights. Lissa snuggled into the seat with Oscar and her lavender blanket, while Christian laid his head on the back seat, slid his arms behind his neck, and rested his eyes.

I flipped on the radio to stay awake. _Undisclosed desires_ by Muse spilled into the car.

I rolled my shoulders, took deep calming breaths, and focused on the road ahead of me. My plan was to get at least 50 miles away from St. Augustine's, this way if the academy did come searching for us, we'd be far enough away to make a quick escape.

I knew I'd probably regret what I was doing later, but for right now, in this very moment, it felt like the right thing to do. I'd miss life at the academy, I'd miss my friends, but most of all...I'd miss Dimitri. I let the tears fall freely—Lissa and Christian were sound asleep, so there was no need to be ashamed of crying. I had to remind myself that this road trip was only temporary. I'd get to see Dimitri again. And when I did, I had a feeling he wasn't going to be too happy with me.

Hello freedom. Goodbye Academy.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't worry, you'll be seeing more of the Russian God…_very_ soon.

As always, let me know what you think! :-)


	11. Chapter 11: Never too late

**A/N:**

Thank you all so much! I LOVE and appreciate each and every one of your reviews.

Well here is what all of you asked for, Dimitri's point of view. Now you get to see in the mind of our beloved Russian God :-). I was very reluctant to write from his point of view…but, oh well, I gave it a shot. I hope I don't disappoint.

**Disclaimer: Vampire Academy belongs to author Richelle Mead.**

* * *

**DPOV:**

I'd let my life become a mess. An absolute and inclusive disaster. I was used to being a structured and well thought out man—my bed had to be made a certain way, the comforter never allowed to brush the edges of the floor. My socks must be in the top drawer, separated from the blacks, and always folded properly. Nothing else was tolerable. Or else I wouldn't be able to concentrate on work throughout the day.

I thoroughly enjoyed my life before. It was quiet, controlled, and most of the time tranquil. The academy had formed me this way. I was born and raised in the military; it was all I knew. I was perfectly fine with that. It was sometimes lonesome and stressful, but I disregarded those feelings and managed to keep continually busy.

I hadn't realized until I met my student, Rose Hathaway, that the life I had wasn't much of one at all. Immediately, the sheer thought of her, brought a tired sigh to my lips. I ran an aggravated hand through my hair.

I'd never seen anything like her, not in my four years of being a General or my two as a lieutenant.

I didn't know where to begin with her. I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I was falling deeply and profoundly in love with her. My feelings for Roza were so intense and powerful that I was fearful her soul would consume me entirely. Love was a dangerous thing to play with. And what we had now was a double edged sword. I knew the end result would always be the same: the both of us would get hurt, be it intentionally or unintentionally.

But my heart wanted what my heart wanted—and that was her.

My mind was in control though. It over-ran my heart and emotions because I had worked years to train it that way. My mind was telling me what Rose and I had was wrong, terribly terribly wrong. I listened to those thoughts—no matter how much I loathed them, I knew my brain was right. I couldn't be with Rose, nor would I ever be able to. That is simply the way it was.

I sighed sadly, let all the emotions and feelings towards Rose leave my body and mind. Pushed them to the back of my brain. Put them on the back burner. However you want to put it, love and lust was not something I brought to work.

After taking a shower and dressing in my uniform, I glanced at my watch.

_5:32 AM._

Realizing I was running late for morning practice with Rose, I headed out the door and towards the field. I ran a few warm up laps and waited patiently for my student to arrive.

Several minutes later, Rose strutted up to me—that was the only word I could possibly use to describe it. Her hands swung back and forth, a delicate smile twisting her cupid bow lips, her defined hips swayed left to right, obvious confidence and attitude in her cat walk.

"Morning, Comrade." She cheerily greeted, that beautiful smile becoming more prominent.

"Good morning, Rose." I fought the smile that dared to curl at my lips. "Laps, now."

She groaned.

After a little more coaxing on my part, she finally headed out to the track.

Once she had completed the routine four miles, she came back to me, breathing heavily, sweat glistening her creamy almond skin, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. She was breathtaking, like an Angel.

"What's next?" Roza puffed.

"Weights."

"You son of a b—"

Her words were cut off as I shot her a defiant stare. There was nothing more unattractive than hearing such filthy words leave her mouth, and each time she swore, it stood as a constant reminder of her juvenile age.

"Sorry, Comrade." she mumbled sheepishly.

"Just go." I waved my hand.

She nodded and ran off.

Just before practice was over, knowing Rose's tendency to forget important matters, I had to remind her of one last thing.

"Practice field tests start after lunch today and will occur consistently and sporadically for the following several weeks."

"Got cha'." she said. "You know, Coach, with the way you constantly remind me about certain events…I'd say you think I'm irresponsible and incapable of remembering what I need to do. I'm not stupid, ya know."

I grinned, unable to help myself, and without another word cast towards Roza, I turned on my heel and walked away.

"Hey! That's rude!"

* * *

The field test went well. Despite it being designed as a difficult challenge for their speed and agility, the majority of my students passed with ease. The only problem I had was with Rose. I had been frustrated at first, believing she was trying to claim attention, but then I realized her fear of heights was indeed real.

Although part of me wanted to hold her and comfort her, tell her she didn't have to complete the test, I knew that would be avoiding the problem and not the appropriate road to take. Pushing my concern, feelings, and tinge of sympathy for her aside, I did the only thing I could think of—I forced her into the test.

Turns out, it worked well. Rose climbed up the rope faster than I'd ever seen any student before. She was frightening and beautiful in her movements, like a cheetah navigating through the Savannah.

She'd had some difficulty when she got to the top, and my chest tightened in fear when she began swaying left to right. I contemplated running to the tree and being there to catch her if she were to fall. Auspiciously, she regained her composure when I'd reminded her of the time she had left.

Rose was fascinating to watch and I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from her. She ascended over the water fiercely, like a fallen angel, and landed softly on the leafy forest ground.

Pride, respect and admiration for my student filled my chest. She did it. And she did it good.

I wrote down her times on the clipboard and strode over to where Rose was standing. I gave the smallest smile.

There were so many things I wanted to say. But the only thing I could manage to think of was two words. Two words I knew she wouldn't understand the significance of. Two words I knew she'd never know the magnitude of which I meant them.

"Good job."

Rose's lavender-pink lips twisted into a perfect heart, gratitude filled those warm brown eyes. "Thanks, Comrade. I couldn't have done it without your perseverance and encouraging swear words in Russian."

I chuckled. "I'm proud of you, Roza."

Without another thought, I leaned down so our faces were only inches apart, and pressed my mouth to the silk of her cheek. Her skin was warm and sweet. I allowed my lips to remain against her cheek for a moment too long—not realizing how much I enjoyed it. When I pulled back, my mouth burned like small electric shocks were coursing through my lips.

Fighting the urge to brush my fingers against my stinging mouth—to see if what I just did was real and not something I had imagined, I glanced at Rose. The stain of crimson across cheeks, the sparkling in her brown eyes stricken with amazement and wonder, confirmed what I had expected.

I turned around and walked away. I barked out orders to my next student.

If kissing Rose on the cheek had been that exhilarating, I couldn't imagine how it would feel like to do other things with her. I gritted my teeth at the thought.

* * *

I grabbed a tray from the stack and handed it to Ethan. He offered a friendly smile and greeted me in our native tongue.

"What's it going to be Boss?"

"The usual," I said.

Ethan began filling up my tray with Pelmeni and a bowl of Borsch. "Extra sour cream and beef?"

I grinned. "Always."

"Hey, Boss?"

"Yes, Ethan?"

He gulped and glanced down at the tray, the uneasiness evident in his face. "About those missing girls…" He placed silverware on my tray. "Have they found any new leads yet?"

I sighed tiredly. "No, they have not."

"Do they have any idea who this harebrained lunatic is?" He shook his head. "I butcher animals for a living, but I could never imagine hacking up young girls—"

"That's enough," I cut him off, the unbearable mental image of Rose in the hands of the murderer flashing before my eyes. "It is strictly police business, Ethan. I cannot release any information. Once the public knows, so will you. Until then…"

Allowing the sentence to trail off, I hastily picked up my tray and walked over to the refreshment table.

"Hey, Dimka!"

_Don't roll your eyes, don't roll your eyes._ I thought.

Tasha smiled at me. She was in her usual uniform—thermal shirt, army pants, and combat boots. Raven black hair worn down in long waves, pink glossed lips, and smoldering blue eyes. She was beautiful, breathtaking, but nothing compared to the one girl that owned my heart.

"Tasha." I nodded in acknowledgment.

"Oh, don't _Tasha_ me!" She playfully smack my arm. "I called your mother today."

"You did?" I tried to keep the irritation out of my tone. I don't believe I succeeded because Tasha frowned at me.

"Yeah, I talk to her all the time," she paused. "Olena has been helping me tremendously ever since the break-up."

"That was over two years ago." I said tightly. I grabbed two water bottles and walked to an empty nearby table. Most of the staff had already eaten and were getting back to work. I was late. I always managed to let work interfere with my eating habits.

Tasha sat down across from me. Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything less, she followed me around like a lost puppy dog.

"I was thinking," She snatched a bite of food from my plate. I gritted my teeth. When Rose did that, it was cute, maybe even a little sexy…but when Tasha did it, it was repulsive.

She slowly chewed on the meat.

"You were thinking…_what_?" I waved my hands impatiently.

"Give me a second to swallow the bite, Dimka." She giggled, covering her mouth. "You know it's rude to talk around a mouthful of food."

And there goes the restrained-annoyed eye roll. Tasha noticed and narrowed her gaze.

"I was thinking I could come by your place and cook us some dinner."

"I—"

"And before you say no," she interrupted. "This is a strictly no-strings-attached dinner. Just two close friends having a relaxing meal and catching up on each others lives."

I took two bites of Pelmeni and swallowed, trying to buy time. Having dinner with Tasha was the last thing I wanted to do. I dreaded having to spend time with her. But my mother and her were still very close—despite having ended my relationship with Tasha two years ago—and I couldn't bluntly refuse her offer. That would be rude and I'd likely be hearing a long lecture later from my mother. I didn't want to upset her. Besides, it was just dinner…two friends having dinner like Tasha had said. What's the worse that could happen?

"I don't know…"

"Oh, come on, Dimka!" Tasha grinned. "Please have dinner with me. Don't make me get down on my knees and beg."

I shook my head. "I know, but I'm still hesitant—"

"What about Emerson? Does he mean nothing to you?"

I slammed my hands on the table. My control snapping, like a rubber band. My whole body filled with the heat of anger and rage.

"Emerson isn't real," I growled, my face only inches from Tasha's. "He is a figment of your imagination. You made him up so I would stay with you. You fooled me into loving you. What we had wasn't real, none of it was."

"What we had was true love, Dimitri. And you know it." Tasha replied crisply. "You loved me—love me. And you love Emerson."

"Emerson isn't real!" I snarled. "You used him to make me love you. It was the thought of Emerson that I loved, not you. It was _never_ you."

Tears brimmed in her ice-blue eyes. "He was real and I lost him in the accident. Don't you remember, sweetheart?" she pleaded.

"There was no accident, you're delusional. Fanatical. Crazy. Insane." I pointed in her face. "You need help, Tasha, professional help."

I stood up from the table and stomped out of the staff room, leaving my tray and a crying woman behind.

* * *

After work, I showered and got dressed for bed. I'd only read a couple of chapters from my western novel when I heard a soft knock at the door.

I hopped out of bed and cautiously walked to open the door. For a moment, my chest filled with undeniable excitement and happiness at the thought of the person outside being Rose. I wanted it to be her. I wanted to keep her safe in my apartment. I wanted to be next to her, lay beside her, savor each and every moment I spent in her powering presence.

I immediately scolded myself for having such feelings towards my seventeen year old student.

I turned the knob and opened the door, the smile quickly vanished from my face when I realized who it was. Tasha.

"What do you want?"

"A peace offering," She slid me the sweetest smile and waved two wine glasses in the air. "I came by to say I'm sorry for what happened earlier."

I stared at her and didn't utter a word. She continued on in that nervous mumble that was equally cute and completely annoying.

"I just want to have dinner with you, a normal dinner—with no problems, and absolutely no reminiscing about our past. I promise only light and airy topics. So unless you have any other plans…" she glanced behind me. "Oh, it looks like you don't. That's wonderful. Besides, I brought red wine…your favorite."

A laugh escaped my lips. "I'm still not sold…" I teased.

Tasha giggled, picking up on my relaxed mood. Her face glowed with happiness. "It's freezing out here, Dimka. I'd like to keep all of my toes and fingers, so let me in…unless you'd like me to sit on your porch all night and wait for you."

"I like the latter." I winked.

"Oh, move out of the way, you Big Bully!" Tasha playfully smacked my chest. I smiled and let her pass. I shut and locked the door.

"How do you like my dress?" she asked. It was a simple coral dress that showed off her long pale legs. She did a small twirl.

"Why are you wearing a dress?" My forehead creased in confusion. "I thought you said this was supposed to be a friend-to-friend dinner. Besides, it's winter out there, isn't it a little cold to be showing so much skin?"

"Why?" Tasha flashed a sultry look. "Afraid you won't be able to control yourself?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, furious she would make such assumptions.

"Kidding, Dimka, kidding." She giggled. "Relax and take a joke, will ya?"

"I can take a joke." I crossed my arms.

Tasha sauntered into the kitchen and glanced back at me over her shoulder. "Liar."

"Did you come here to spend time with me or did you come here to insult me?"

"Both," she grinned, ravaging through my refrigerator.

I sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Tasha pulled out steak, red potatoes, and asparagus. "Your favorite."

"That's not my favorite."

"Well…" she shrugged. "Your favorite American food?"

"If that is considered American food, then yes." I said.

Tasha seasoned the steaks and placed them in a frying pan.

"Let me guess…" she said. "You like your steak rare?"

"Always."

Tasha giggled and began chopping the potatoes into half moons. After she'd finished, she salted the chunks, placed them in a pan, covered it in aluminum foil, and set them in the pre-heated oven.

"Beverage?" she asked. I nodded.

She opened the fridge and pulled out two Dr. Peppers. She tossed one to me. "Since when do you drink Soda?"

"Since I've spent many nights awake worrying about keeping my school safe," I lied. "It helps keep me awake when I'm feeling extra tired."

"Okey dokey." Tasha shrugged, popping open the cap and taking a long swig.

I wonder if Rose would be upset that Tasha was drinking _her_ soda.

I nearly laughed at the thought.

"What's tickling your fancy?" Tasha asked.

"Huh?"

"You're grinning like an idiot," she said, smiling. "Does my cooking amuse you that much?"

"Oh," I forced a chuckle. "Yes, it does. You are a terrible cook."

"Am not," Tasha smacked my arm. That little gesture was beginning to irritate me.

"I've gotten sick before after having eaten your food."

"That was food-poisoning," she protested. "And it was only one time! One time!"

I laughed and shook my head. "That was the worst three days of my life."

"Yes, but I took very good care of you." Tasha suddenly closed the distance between us, her hand trailing up my thigh, too close to intimate parts for my liking. "Didn't I?"

I cleared my throat and glanced down at her hand and then back at her—an obvious warning for her to give me some space.

Tasha growled in frustration and pulled back. She threw the asparagus in a frying pan and covered the vegetables in salt and pepper.

"I'm sorry, Dimka." She sighed. "I'm PMSing right now and it's causing major mood swings—I'm sorry you have to be the focus and victim of all my grouchiness and horniness."

My eyes widened. I cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Oh, what am I saying?" she threw her hands up. "I just embarrassed myself. I didn't mean to make this so awkward."

"It's fine." I lied.

God, how I wish this night would be over already…

Once Tasha had deemed the food ready and edible, she served the steaks, potatoes, and asparagus in equal portions on two plates.

I helped set the table while she poured our glasses of red wine and set the green bottle in the center of the table.

"Thank you, Tasha." I sat down, she did the same. "This was very kind and thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome," She grinned. "Beats being alone with a western, doesn't it?"

"Yep." I muttered.

Throughout dinner, Tasha talked non-stop about the recent events that had occurred in her life. I ate my steak,—which tasted like soggy paper—nodded and smiled when necessary, constantly fighting the bored expression from masking my face.

Most of the time, my thoughts drifted towards Rose. It was an escape. My escape. My heaven. I imagined how beautiful and glowing she'd look in a white gown at our wedding. I pictured her pregnant with my baby, her smooth stomach perfect and swollen. I imagined our happy children...I dreamt of having a big family with her. I wondered if she'd let their names come from Russian descent?

"Dimka?" Tasha snapped her fingers, her tone slightly aggravated and concerned, indicating she'd called my name a few times.

I blinked. "Sorry, lost in thought."

"Did you hear what I said?"

I shook my head. "No."

"I asked if you'd like to watch a movie with me…It's getting pretty late and I didn't want to leave yet."

I glanced at the clock. _2:47AM._

My eyes widened. "It is really late."

Tasha chuckled. "Yeah, I guess hours fly when you're having a great time."

"You're right, they do." I forced a smile.

"So, what will it be?" she paused. "John Wayne again? What about _True Grit_? I really like that one—"

"It's late," I interrupted her. "I really should be going to bed. I have practice in the morning with Ms. Hathaway."

I stood up and ushered her to the door. Tasha's eyes were like a light switch—going from a warm blue to deadly black in an instant.

She reached forward and kissed me. Shocked and nauseated, I shoved her away.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"What I've been wanting to do for two years…what you've been wanting to do for so long." Tasha ran her hands along my chest. I ripped them away.

"Nothing, and I mean _nothing_, would ever make me touch you like that ever again." My tone was icy and menacing.

"Why don't you want me?" She clutched my shirt. "Why don't you want me the way I want you?"

"You're a manipulative liar. You'll do whatever you can in your power to get what you want. You're repulsive. I cannot believe I ever thought I had feelings for you, loved you. The mere thought nauseates me."

Her lips curled in an ugly sneer. It was evil, sinful, and immoral. Tasha looked like a monster. Any sweet and innocence that she'd carried earlier vanished without a trace.

In a blinding rage, she released a piercing scream, snatched the wine bottle up and smashed it against the ground. It exploded like dynamite, shards of green glass flying everywhere. The liquid spilled all over the floor and stained the tile with a sickening blood color.

I stood there stunned.

"How dare you," she ran to the living room and kicked the vase off its stand. "I yearn for you. I love you, damn it. You've poisoned my mind. You're all I think about. All I dream about."

I watched as her fury and rejection claimed the best of her. Tasha growled and tipped my DVD shelf over. I cringed as she stepped all over them, cracking and breaking years worth of collecting classic DVD's.

"Tasha, stop." I warned.

She scooped four movies into her arms and chucked them at me. I managed to duck three of them, but the last once caught the corner of my eye. I flinched and rubbed the sore spot.

"Stop!" I boomed. "What is wrong with you?"

Tasha scowled and ran into my bedroom were she began ripping pictures of my family from the wall. She flung one across the room; it collided with the mirror and shattered.

"I hate you, I hate you. I hate you so much!" She screeched.

"That's enough." I snarled. I snatched her small body into my arms and tightened. She trashed and screamed against my grasp. And that's when she bit me. She tilted her head at an angle, bared her teeth, and pierced into the flesh of my bicep. Her bite drew blood, I hissed from the pain and released her.

Using my moment of distraction to her advantage, Tasha ran full force towards me in a tackle. The impact caught me off guard and I stumbled, the bends of my knees hit the bed, hurling Tasha and I backwards.

She straddled my waist and crushed her lips to mine.

I growled, low and deep in my throat. I seized Tasha with my hands and threw her violently to the floor. I glowered at her.

And that's when I heard it. The smallest, softest gasp.

My head snapped up and I was met with a pair of glossed brown eyes. Rose.

No. Please don't let this be happening to me.

The anguished expression on her face tightened my chest. I didn't know what thoughts were passing through her mind in that instant, but I knew it wasn't anything good.

And then she ran. I pursued immediately.

Rose stumbled down the steps and that's when I took the opportunity to grab her. I slammed her into me, desperately trying to restrain her squirming body.

"Get off me!" She shoved her elbow into my stomach. I grunted from the throbbing pain.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Rose, squeezing tighter and tighter until she was entirely immobilized.

I despised handling her like this, in a way I felt like my abusive father—using my extra body strength to over power a woman, to control them. Guilt and remorse filled my chest. I hated myself in that moment.

"It's not what you think." I growled.

Her sharp finger nails raked down my forearms, leaving burning trails that itched and stung. I felt liquid trickle down my skin.

"Let go of me," she snarled. "Somebody help me! Please someone!"

"Let me explain." I dreaded doing this, but I knew it was my only choice. I crushed my knee into her kidneys. I heard the breath leave her lips in a soft _whoosh._

It pained me to cause her harm and a part of me felt the blow along with her. She fell slump in my arms. I flipped her around to face me.

"What happened in there, it's not what you think." I explained, pleading with her to believe what I was saying.

"When I saw how messy your apartment was, I feared you might have been hurt." Diamond tears spilled out of her almond eyes and traveled down her cheeks. "Now I know that it was probably from you fucking Tasha. I didn't think you'd be the type into that crazy, wild sex. Tell me, Dimitri, do ya like whips and chains too?"

"It's not what it looks like, if you'd shut your fucking mouth and listen to me explain." I whispered icily. "Tasha and I—"

She raised her hand and I paused for a moment to let her speak. "Please, just stop. You've already hurt me so much…just stop talking."

"Roza…" I begged, suddenly feeling very tired and weak. It felt like someone had ripped a giant hole in my chest. I felt hollow, empty, alone…

"Just please, let me go," Rose croaked. "I need to be alone right now."

I stared at her face, seeing if she meant what she had just said. Her eyes drowned in sadness and pain—my heart broke knowing I was the cause of all her problems. Realizing I'd allowed what she and I shared go on far too long, let her get too emotionally attached to me—as was the same for me—I gave up. Nodding, I let her warm body fall from my arms.

Rose stepped back, those beautiful eyes going from pain to anger in an instant—like Tasha's had earlier, but this look was worse. It held hatred, resentment, and animosity. It was pure malice.

Rose wanted me to suffer.

She pulled her arm back, I knew what she was about to do, and I didn't block her. In a sick and twisted way, I wanted her to hit me; I believe I deserved it for all that I'd done to her. Her fist connected with my nose, I heard the bone demolish and blood spewed from my nostrils like a flowing river. I moaned in agony.

Rose ran. And I didn't chase after her.

* * *

After Dr. Olendzki had stitched and cast my throbbing nose, I was released from the infirmary. She hadn't asked questions at first, however, I didn't give her the opportunity to.

The pain in my nose was indescribable, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I'd suffered many broken bones over the years and the pain becomes almost tolerable, although you never quite get used to it.

I was advised by the doctor to take a few days off work, get some rest, and let my injuries heal a bit—that was never going to happen. I had to find Rose and talk to her. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but silence between us would only worsen things.

I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms, to comfort her, to take her pain away...just as she would take away mine. I had to stop thinking like this. She was my student, a minor…and completely wrong for me. But if we weren't meant to be, why couldn't I stop feeling this way?

I sighed tiredly and glanced at my watch. _5:43AM._

I headed toward the high-school campus. I was planning on telling Rose that practice was canceled. The two of needed a break from each other, we needed time to think, time to breath.

I heard rustling in a nearby bush and froze mid-step. My head snapped over as I focused in on the slight swaying of the bush. I was positive something or someone was behind it. A part of me wanted to investigate, but the other part—the more demanding and over-powering part—urged me to find Rose.

With one last suspicious glance, I walked away.

I knocked, and I knocked, and I knocked at Rose's door. She didn't answer. I stuck my spare key to her room in the hole and turned, letting the oak door slide open until it banged against the wall. I cautiously stepped inside, if she hadn't answered the door, that meant she most likely wanted to be alone—but I couldn't let that happen. No, not right now. I had to explain the situation with Tasha first.

When I'd searched her room meticulously, I discovered that she wasn't in there. I did notice, however, that her toothbrush and tooth paste were missing. A quick glance in her closet showed all of her clothes gone.

The pit of my stomach dropped. I swore.

I ran to the field, checked the cafeteria and the gym just to make sure—just like I had suspected…Rose wasn't there.

I pulled at my hair in frustration. "Where is she?"

I released a string of swear words and angrily pounded my fist against a tree. "No, no, no, no!"

"General Belikov?" I recognized that irritatingly deep voice. I turned to face Stan.

"What?" I snapped.

He put his hands up in surrender. "Just checking to see if you're alright, relax."

"I'm fine."

"Well, what's going on with all that then?" Stan pointed towards the tree and my battered hands. "There's got to be something bothering you."

"I know, you looked like Hulk pounding on that tree. Poor little tree." Adrian came up behind Stand. Imitating what I assumed to be a stance from the Hulk movie, he spread his knees apart like a crab and strikes the ground with his fists. "Hulk _SMASH!_"

"You're intoxicated, Lord Ivashkov."

Adrian closed one eye, like a crocodile. "Maybe a lil' bit," his words slurred together. "I'm off to bed right now, actually. That Lazar girl, _What's her name?..._Av-Avery throws a wicked party."

He chocked up in a fit of laughter.

"Rose is gone." I whispered.

Stan's eyes widened. Adrian's body went rigid with tension, his green eyes seemed to wake up. He looked like he'd sobered up tremendously.

"She has been kidnapped?" He said through clenched teeth.

"No," I said. Adrian's body relaxed, he lout out breath of relief. "Rose has ran away."

"How can you be so sure?" Stan asked skeptically.

I ripped him up by the collar of his shirt and brought his face closer to mine. "Are you questioning my assumptions and my authority?"

"What? No, no. Of course not, General Belikov." He stammered.

"Rose is missing and we have to find her _now_." I abruptly released Stan and shoved him back. He stumbled and landed on his back.

Without sparing them another glance, I ran towards the guards on duty at the gate. I grabbed the first one I could find by the collar and pulled him towards me. Mikhail.

"Who has left school grounds within the last several hours?"

"Ch-Check the sign-out list," he said nervously. "Only two people have left St. Augustine's in the past few days."

I ran to the guard post and flung open the door. I startled the guard inside, causing her to jump and spill steaming black coffee all over her thigh.

She cried out in pain.

"I need the sign-out list _now._" I demanded. "You can check for injuries later. This is far more important."

The woman handed me a clipboard. I stared down at the blue paper. On the second line, departing at _6:01AM, _was Vasilisa Dragomir—signed and fingerprinted.

I hissed under my breath and chucked the clipboard at the window.

The woman whimpered in fear.

"I need the security tapes."

"What?"

"The security tapes," I repeated. "Rewind them 15 minutes. It is crucial that I see something."

She nodded and walked over to the small television set placed on the counter. The screen got fuzzy and blurry as she pressed a button and the tapes began to rewind. One excruciatingly slow minute later, a black car appeared on the screen.

"That is Ms. Dragomir's car, Sir." She informed me. I nodded.

Lissa—as Rose liked to call her—stepped out of the car and greeted the guards with the biggest smile plastered across her face. I knew she had easily fooled them with that mask of sweetness and innocence.

On the outside, she was the perfect picture of calm and collected. But I could see the uneasiness in the depths of her eyes. The way her face kept flickering towards the trunk of the car confirmed everything I already knew.

A few moments, she slid back into the driver's seat, waved politely and sped off.

"It looks like she's heading north on the 2-15. I scribbled it down on the paper and handed it to the woman.

"I want you—and anyone else around here—to check every hotel within a 75 mile radius." I pointed towards the direction the car had turned. "North only. Look for exits on the road. Knowing Rose, she'd pull off at a hotel that was near the freeway so she would be able to make a quick escape. Check by Vasilisa's last name, chances are, they used her credit card to check in the hotel."

The woman stared at me.

"Is this too much for you to handle?" I snapped. "Do you understand English?"

It was rude, but I wanted to get things done. And if this lady wasn't going to get the task finished quickly, then I needed someone else to do the job.

"Ye-Yes General Belikov, I understand. I will get working immediately."

I nodded and ran out.

"Why are you following me, Lord Ivashkov?"

"I think I may have something—"

I yelled at the guards lined up against the front gate. "I am placing St. Augustine's on lock down. No one leaves this school; no one comes in this school. No one sleeps, eats, breathes or goes to the bathroom without my permission. Do you understand?"

In perfect sync, they nodded their heads.

"Yoo-hoo, Cradle Robber."

"What did you just say?" I growled. I walked up to him and shoved his chest.

"Whoa, whoa. Hands off, buddy." He dusted his shirt. "I want to help Rose just as much as you do."

"How are you going to help her? There is absolutely nothing you can do."

"Not true," Adrian paused. "I know a way to find out exactly where she is."

**RPOV:**

I was jamming to the music while I was driving. The sound was upbeat and helped keep me awake. I didn't have a clue what the song was called, it just kept repeating the same lyrics over and over again: Like a G6. Frankly, I had no clue what a G6 was, but it was catchy and I just went along with it.

"Right over there." Lissa turned the radio dial and the music died out.

"Go back to sleep, Grumpy." I said.

"I want to sleep in a bed." She whined.

"Fine, fine." I pulled off the exit, turned on a few deserted streets, and arrived at a Dingy looking crappy hotel. The only car in the parking lot was a beat-up four wheeler—probably belonging to the owner. The red neon sight flickered on and off with the word _Vacancy_.

"I'm glad they're not all booked up." I muttered.

I turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. Lissa went to wake Christian. After grabbing a few bags, I opened the back door and found the two making out.

I covered my eyes and screamed. "Oh, come on guys! I leave the two of you alone for three minutes and you're already jumping each others bones."

Christian smiled against her lips and continued to kiss her. "It's my favorite way to wake up in the morning. Don't be jealous that you're not getting the same lovin' she is."

I kicked his shin. "Get up! I'm tired."

He grumbled a response and the two of them slid out of the car—both smitten and smiling like idiots.

I gagged.

Once Lissa had paid for the rooms—with two beds, no way in hell I was sharing a bed with those lovebirds—Christian and I hauled the remaining luggage to the room. I locked and chained the door shut behind us.

"No way," I grinned. "You brought Clue?"

"I am the king of board games." Christian declared.

I snorted. "That's because you haven't played me before. You're going to get your ass handed to you, Hotstuff."

Lissa laughed and pulled out Oscar from his bed. The orange ball of fur was now awake and running around—thanks to his power nap. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. Okay, really really cute. Like melt-the-biggest-meanies-on-the-spot cute.

"Hey, if we play this enough," Christian waved the Clue box in the air. "We'd become expert detectives. This game teaches you a lot about life—believe it or not. We might even be able to catch this murderer ourselves."

I snickered. "Yeah, I'd like to make an accusation."

Christian cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want to make a suggestion first? If you make an accusation and you're wrong, you're booted out of the game, Missy."

"I'm definitely making an accusation." I said.

"That's…dangerous." Christian paused, "But go ahead, I'd like to see you lose anyways."

"I accuse Mr. Ozera, in the Mess hall, with a butcher knife."

Christian and I stared at each other a moment before busting up laughing. Lissa shook her head and giggled with us.

Christian made an alarm noise and slammed his hand down on the night stand. "Wrong! Out of the game."

I stuck my tongue out. "I'm going to get a snack from the vending machine."

"Be careful, all the food in there is over 50 years old."

"I'm starving. I'll take my chances." I grinned.

"Of course you will." he mumbled.

"I'm only going to be gone for 2 minutes max." I pointed a warning finger to Lissa. "No funny business, got it? I don't think I could handle seeing Christian's pale ass again."

"That was only one time you caught us!" she exclaimed. "One time."

Christian smirked. "She's just jealous, babe. Don't worry, I'll handle this."

He stood from the bed and walked over to me, grabbing my hands. "Listen, Rose…I just don't feel the same way about you. Now I know it has to be heart-wrenching for you, seeing me in the arms of another woman, but that's just how it is. Life's hard. You have to move on, you're only hurting yourself."

Behind Christian, Lissa was giggling uncontrollably. Christian's lips were pursed and twitching, he was fighting hard not to laugh.

I rolled my eyes and slapped his chest. "You're such an idiot."

I unlocked the door and walked out of the room. The instant I shut the door is when Christian broke. He laughed like a Hyena along with Lissa.

My chest constricted. They were so perfect for each other; they had friendship, companionship, and most of all, love. That was the perfect combination. I knew they were meant to be together…soul mates.

Their relationship was so unlike mine and my star-crossed lover, Dimitri. Ours was doomed from the start.

I sighed and trotted over to the vending machine. Despite it being coated in dust, the motel looked like it had a pretty good selection of food. I stood there for several minutes, debating on which bag of chips I should choose.

I twirled the change in my hand. "Do I want Fritos or Hot Cheetos? Fritos or Hot Cheetos? God, it's so hard to choose."

"Hello, Roza." The voice came from behind me. I recognized it immediately.

No.

How did he find me?

My heart dropped.

* * *

**A/N:**

I hope you all enjoyed!

As always, let me know what you think :-)


	12. Chapter 12: Taken

**A/N:**

******Chapter Rated T for language**  


Sorry for the late update, my bird has fallen sick recently and all of my time has been spent taking care of him and hoping he will get better. Fingers crossed! :-)

I'd like to thank Dimitri. and. Roza. 4E (Stevie) for offering to be my Beta and editing this chapter for me! You're a genius and lightening fast!

Thanks to all of the people who are reading and reviewing this story, you have no idea how much it means to me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.**

* * *

**_Previously on A Blessing in Disguise…_**

_My chest constricted. They were so perfect for each other; they had friendship, companionship, and most of all, love. That was the perfect combination. I knew they were meant to be together…soul mates._

_Their relationship was so unlike mine and my star-crossed lover's, Dimitri. Ours was doomed from the start._

_I sighed and trotted over to the vending machine. Despite it being coated in dust, the motel looked like it had a pretty good selection of food. I stood there for several minutes, debating on which bag of chips I should choose._

_I twirled the change in my hand. "Do I want Fritos or Hot Cheetos? Fritos or Hot Cheetos? God, it's so hard to choose."_

_"Hello, Roza." The voice came from behind me. I recognized it immediately._

_No._

_How did he find me?_

_My heart dropped._

* * *

I froze with shock for a moment and cringed. After taking four deep breathes, I turned to face one pissed off Russian.

"Hey Comrade, how's it going?" I laughed nervously. God, I sounded so un-Rose-like.

_Just smile and play it cool._ I thought. _He can't be that angry, right? _

Wrong.

Dimitri's gaze narrowed, he clenched his jaw tightly, I heard the squeak of his teeth grinding together.

I was distantly aware of at least a dozen guards behind him, poised and ready to attack—acting like little puppets, waiting for Dimitri's every command. I snorted. Sometimes I despised that my mentor was in charge of everything and _everyone_ at St. Augustine's.

I suddenly felt claustrophobic. The guards were surrounding me, closing in like a snake on a rat. Yeah, the odds of getting Lissa, Christian, Oscar, and I to the Mercedes roadster and making a quick escape before they could catch us weren't looking too good right now. I swore loudly.

My eyes flickered back to meet Dimitri's cold and hard brown eyes. He was staring at me intensely; maybe a little too intensely. I felt like those eyes could pierce my soul and read all of my deepest and darkest secrets. I felt exposed under his gaze, like I was standing naked in front of him, a girl could only wish.

I fought the urge to look away. I had to show Dimitri he wasn't the dominant one in this situation; even though I was well aware that he was. I had to show him I wasn't weak or powerless. When in doubt, resort to attitude.

"How's your nose doing?" I mocked. His long and narrow nose, if possible, looked in worse shape than this morning. At least it was bandaged now, though.

His eyes flashed with anger. "Could be better." He shrugged.

I gazed at his masculine face—the strong jaw-line, knife-edged cheekbones, strong brow, and sensuous lips. My heart constricted. I had only been gone for a few hours and I'd already missed Dimitri, and yearned for him. Damn it.

"How did you find us?" I demanded.

Dimitri jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, behind him, stood a very guilty looking Adrian.

"Sorry, Little Cadet," He tapped his temple. "The psychic powers I possess are far more powerful than you and I could ever dream of—no pun intended."

How could he betray me like that?

"I'm not going back," I growled.

"You have to," Dimitri's tone was cold and menacing, he meant business. "You're a minor. Your mother, Janine, insists that we bring you back to the academy immediately. You're obligated to come back to St. Augustine's—whether you like it or not." A minor? Oh, now he cares that I'm a minor.

"I'm not obligated to do anything," I snapped. "You don't own me."

A devious and possessive smile twisted at his lips, his tone was confident as he spoke. "You are under my control, Ms. Hathaway. I can take you by force or you can simply come willingly. Either way, you're coming back to the academy."

I huffed and glared at him.

"So, Ms. Hathaway, what's it going to be?" he asked. "The easy way, or the hard way?"

A slow, certain grin spread across my face. "I never take the easy way, Dimitri. I thought you'd know me better by now."

"Don't do this, Rose." He warned. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

Dimitri's stance was rigid, his body ready to attack.

"Hurt me? Hurt me?" I laughed bitterly. "You've already done plenty of damage, believe me."

He flinched, knowing exactly what I was referring to—me catching him and Tasha basically getting it on in his apartment last night.

Dimitri closed his eyes, exhaled, and muttered a curse in Russian. He pointed two fingers towards the hotel room.

"Get them out of there," he ordered. "We are leaving _now_."

Alberta, Stan, and Mikhail headed towards the door.

"Don't go anywhere near them," I said through clenched teeth. "I swear to God, if you even lay a finger on her I will—"

"You will…what? What can you possibly do, Rose?" Dimitri asked, tone mocking and challenging. "You're alone, outnumbered, and unarmed. You'll only make a fool of yourself if you try to fight them."

I was being cornered. I had this panicky feeling weighing down my chest and thoughts. I knew he was right. I was scared and alone, and hopeless. But I wasn't a quitter. And I wasn't going out without a decent fight.

I stepped towards Stan and struck out; it was a stupid move born out of fear and instinct. I drove my fist into his solar plexus. Unaware and unprepared, Stan doubled over and groaned in pain.

I was quick to sidestep Dimitri's grab for me.

"Stop it," he growled.

"I told you I'm not going back!"

"Rose, just stop…_please._ Don't fight him." That sweet and frightened voice came from behind me. I turned around to face Lissa.

_Bad_ idea.

Never turn your back on your opponent until they are incapacitated.

Dimitri grabbed me from behind; one arm wrapped around my waist while the other snaked around my neck.

I screamed, kicked, hit, scratched, bit, clawed and yanked on hair, but I could never get out of his iron grasp no matter what I tried.

Tired and frustrated, Dimitri gripped my face and slammed my head against the wall. I didn't feel pain. I didn't feel anything. Black shadows consumed me.

* * *

I heard slight buzzing, but nothing else. The migraine came in viscous, pounding waves. It felt like a thousand tiny miners were digging at my brain with their tiny pickaxes'. It was excruciating, agonizing, Out-of this-world pain.

I slowly and painfully opened my heavy eyelids. I winced at the bright light and immediately shut them. Unable to see, I accessed the situation with my hands.

I rubbed them along the outside of my legs, the material was cool and smooth—leather. Okay, I was sitting on leather. That didn't provide much insight to where I was.

I continued to feel around. My hands went over a few small hills, and wrapped around something cool and light-weight. I picked it up and shook it, hearing the _swoosh _of liquid. A plastic bottle.

A deep chuckle echoed through my ears, followed by a Russian accented voice. "What are you doing?"

My eyes snapped open, I ignored the blinding white light and sharp pain in my skull.

Surprised, I jerked my head to the left and was met with a pair of familiar dark eyes. Dimitri.

I screamed.

A loud, high-pitched, girly, there-is-an-axe-murderer-behind-you kind of scream. Dimitri flinched and yelled for me to stop.

"Where am I?" I stipulated.

He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. "You're in my car; I am taking you back to the academy."

It all came back to me. Dimitri finding me in the hotel parking lot (I was still upset that I didn't get my chips), punching one of the guards, battling Dimitri, getting knocked out.

My head spun. I glared at my mentor.

"You smashed my head against a concrete wall!"

"I did what was necessary." His voice was calm and collected, as if he was talking about something as simple as the weather or the Sunday paper.

"Beating up a girl is necessary?"

It was a low blow, comparing him to his abusive father, but it felt like the right thing to do at the moment. He flinched and I immediately wished I could pick up my words and swallow them.

"When my student is assaulting a fellow guard and myself, then yes, it is absolutely necessary and I don't regret it."

"I'm guessing your father wasn't the only wife-beater in the family." I said. And I said it just because I wanted to piss him off.

By the look on Dimitri's face, I'd say I succeeded. I felt uncomfortably smug.

His eyes went black with pure rage, his face twisted with anger, he bared his teeth. He lifted his hand, prepared to hit me. "You little b-"

Dimitri held his hand up a moment longer, before lowering and pounding it against the steering wheel. By the amount of force he put into his angry blows, I'm grateful that he was hitting the car and not my face.

"What if I don't want to go back?"

"You don't have a choice," He didn't look at me, he kept his eyes trained on the road. Safe driver.

"Where are Lissa and Christian?"

"Behind us."

I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw four identical black SUV's following behind our car. The Mercedes roadster was pressed in the middle. I had to admit, we looked pretty badass—especially with Dimitri in the lead.

"I hate you," I was surprised at how much venom was injected into those three words. I crossed my arms and stared out the passenger tinted window.

"You don't hate me," Dimitri's voice was quiet, his tone unsure and hurt. What did he have to be hurt about?

"How did Adrian help you find us?" I asked, truthfully curious. From my peripheral vision, I saw Dimitri shrug.

"It's a long story,"

I snorted. "It's not like I can go anywhere."

"You're right, you can't." He returned. "Long story short, Adrian came to me claiming he could find out where you were. I was hesitant at first but I eventually gave him a chance."

Dimitri sighed and slid me a side-long glance.

"Well, what he did was kind of…_strange_—to say the least. Adrian said that he needed to tap into his subconscious energy." he paused. "He lit candles, turned off the lights, and murmured a few prayers—"

"Like a séance?"

Dimitri shook his head and outright laughed. "No, a séance is when you try and make contact with the dead. Adrian was just doing these things as calming exercises." He said. "Anyway, he went into a deep sleep. He woke up about 45 minutes later, didn't utter a word, and began sketching various pictures."

Dimitri smiled and flashed me a dangerous look. "Turns out, one of the sketches Adrian drew was of the motel sign you, Lissa, and Christian were staying at. One of our guards—who shall remain nameless because I don't want you to cause him or her any bodily harm—recognized the motel sign and was able to easily identify it." He inhaled and exhaled jadedly. "40 minutes later, we were pulling up to the motel and I found you at the food machine. Not surprising."

"You should have left me there, too."

"Leave you out there alone?"

"I was with my friends," I huffed. "I wasn't alone."

"What you did was tremendously stupid, Rose." Dimitri shook his head. "Something could have happened to you. Do you think I would have forgiven myself if something terrible _did _happen?"

"Don't really give a fuck how you feel."

Dimitri pressed down on the gas pedal, speeding the car up to 95mph.

"I'm all for fast cars," I said. "But don't you think that's a little dangerous?"

"You want to know what's dangerous?"

"Nope," I popped the 'p'. I was well aware that I was acting like a spoiled brat, but in that moment, I didn't care. I was so angry at Dimitri—for everything and for nothing.

"You leaving the academy is perilous! I can't even begin to fathom what you must have been thinking when you hopped into the trunk of Vasilisa's car." He furiously slammed his palm down on the dashboard, causing the car to vibrate. I whimpered in surprise and terror.

"I was trying to keep her safe," I whispered, defending myself.

"Who?" He demanded.

"Lissa, I was trying to protect my best friend. And myself."

"I will protect you both!" he boomed. "I cannot keep you safe if you are away from me."

"I don't need you."

"Yes you do, Roza! When will you realize that?" Dimitri rubbed his forehead. "I need you here with me. So I can keep you safe. So I can protect you, defend you. Guard you. Look after you. Save you from harm. Take _care_ of you." The last words were spoken in a soft whisper. "Please, don't ever do anything like that again."

Butterflies danced in my stomach from his words. Had he really meant what he'd just said?

I glanced at him, searching his face thoroughly, and I knew the answer immediately.

Yes.

Yes, he had meant them.

"This has gone on far too long," Dimitri whispered voice hoarse and deep with emotion. He pointed between me and him.

"What has?" I asked. "Our teacher–student relationship? Our friendship? Our unwilling mutual attraction?"

"You and I both know it's more than that."

We stayed silent for the remainder of the trip.

Dimitri pulled up to the guard station some time later. He pushed down a button and the window rolled down, he nodded towards the guard who returned the respectful gesture and let us through the iron gates.

I hopped out of the car before Dimitri was done pulling into the parking space. I waved at the passing roadster. Lissa smiled apologetically through the window, gave a slight head shake, and passed by me without stopping.

"I want to talk to her." I told Dimitri.

"That's not going to happen," He locked the SUV and walked over to where I was standing. At nearly a foot taller, he towered over me like a building, and I had to admit, it was hard not to be intimidated.

"Why not?"

"Because you're in enough trouble as it is."

"I have to talk to her!"

"You don't have to do anything besides get to your dorm, _now_." He commanded.

"You're a dick."

Dimitri shrugged and began walking towards the high-school building.

"I guess you're coming to my room too, eh?"

"Yes," He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're in trouble and I need to rightfully punish you."

"Kinky," I kicked a stone in our path. "However, punishment isn't really my thing. Why don't you ask Tasha, though? By the looks of your apartment last night, I'd say the girl likes it rough."

Dimitri skidded to an abrupt stop. His hand shot out and gripped my bicep, biting bruises into my skin. Those hard and dark eyes stared into mine as he spoke. "That is none of your business."

"You can at least explain yourself."

"I have no reason to explain anything to my _seventeen_ year old student." Ouch.

His words hurt more than if he were to slap me, and he knew it. He meant them. He wanted to hurt me, wanted to cause me pain. Mission accomplished.

"Ouch, that burned bad," I mimicked pulling a knife out of my heart. "But probably not as bad as when you were giving it hard to Tasha last night."

"You are out of line." Dimitri's tone held no room for argument. He laughed harshly. "I'd shut my mouth right now if I were you, before you get even deeper in trouble."

"Is that even possible?" I asked. "To get into more trouble than I already am?"

"It's highly possible," he said. "Would you like to find out?"

I shook my head. "No."

Dimitri opened the door, stepped through, and let it swing shut behind his feet.

"Asshole," I muttered, ripping open the door and stepping inside. "What happened to ladies first?"

"I don't see a lady in front of me," he said. "All I see is an immature little girl." Double ouch.

"I hate you." I lied.

"Honestly, right now," He shrugged indifferently. "I don't care."

God, the one thing I hated about Dimitri was how frustrating he could be. The guy never let up. I wondered if he lasted in bed as long as he lasted in an argument. If so, I knew Tasha was lying under his sheets as one satisfied woman right now.

I felt an unwelcome stab of jealously towards her. The feeling was sickening, too many emotions wrapped up in one body—envy, sadness, hate, anger, rage, heartache. It made me nauseous thinking about the two of them together in _that _way—Dimitri kissing her, touching her, their bodies moving in sync, Tasha bringing him immeasurable amounts of pleasure.

I shuddered.

If only Dimitri knew how badly I wanted to be the one wrapped safely in his arms, instead of Tasha.

"Ya know," I unlocked the door to my room. "If I get murdered, it will be your entire fault."

"Why?"

"Because you brought me back to this damn Military Academy..._aka_ the killer's home." I said. "I hope you can live with that on your conscious."

I walked into my room and inhaled the familiar scent of Jasmine and Vanilla. I felt Dimitri's powerful presence behind me; so close that I could feel the warmth of his body and smell the crisp scent of his aftershave. His sweet breath tickled my ear as he inhaled and exhaled softly.

"Please, don't talk like that," He whispered, voice hoarse with emotion, his Russian accent velvety and tastefully thick.

"Why?"

"Because I only brought you back here to protect you, Roza. I want nothing more than to keep you safe."

"Why do you even care?" I asked. "I'm just another student. I mean nothing to you."

"I care about you, _a lot..._too much_._" he growled lightly. "That is why I want to keep you out of harm's way."

I turned around to face him and gasped from what I saw. Dimitri's eyes were dark and pained, his forehead creased, bottom lip pulled between his teeth. Those broad shoulders of his were slumped and sad. He looked strangely...vulnerable. He gazed into my eyes, allowing all of the emotions to fill his—attraction, attachment, lust, love…

Dimitri then did something that stunned me.

He reached forward, tangled those graceful fingers of his in my hair, and pulled me to his face. The instant his mouth touched mine, I melted into a puddle of goo. His lips were warm and soft like silk…just as I had imagined and fantasized about.

Our kiss was rough and needy and hungry. Dimitri was trying to devour me with his mouth, as I was doing the same to him.

God, he tasted wonderful.

His sleek tongue whipped out and darted beyond my lips, exploring every inch of my mouth in a frenzy. Dimitri moaned, deep and low in his throat. The sound was beautiful and buzzed against my mouth, sending shivers down my spine.

I threw my hands around his neck. He gasped and slammed me against the wall. He pressed his body hard against mine, so hard that I felt _every _inch of him. I pulled back for oxygen—only God knows how much I didn't want to—and struggled for ragged gasps of air.

He gazed down at me, eyes burning with lust and hunger, those beautiful lips swollen and red.

"Please, don't ever do that again," Dimitri laid his face into the curve of my neck and shoulder, pressed a kiss against the skin, and breathed in. "Don't ever leave again."

"I won't." I breathed.

He pressed his lips against mine once again and I was in pure heaven. I still couldn't believe this was happening. I was kissing Dimitri! If this was a dream, I didn't want to wake up…

I pulled the tie out of his brown hair, chucked it to the ground, and curled my fingers into his long hair, trying to bring him as close to me as possible.

"God, you have no idea how long I have wanted to do this." His voice was muffled against my mouth.

I moaned in response.

Dimitri's lips left a trail of fiery kisses across my cheek, along my jaw, and down my neck. He stopped once he reached the end of my neck and started aggressively sucking, his teeth lightly piercing my skin, leaving a red patch across my flesh. I couldn't help the small moan and whimper that escaped my throat.

"We have to stop now," His body contradicted his words. Dimitri didn't want to stop.

"Why?"

"Because if we keep going," he said breathlessly. "I won't be able to control myself…I won't be able to stop myself."

"What if I don't want you to stop?" I licked the edges of his mouth. He closed his eyes in pleasure.

"It's not about what you or I want," Dimitri nipped on my bottom lip, I melted into his arms. "It's about doing the right thing."

"But I want you." I begged.

"I want you, too," His face scrunched in pain. "I want you _so_ badly…"

Dimitri looked like he wanted to say more, much more. But he bit his tongue and sighed instead.

"Kiss me." I whispered.

"What?"

"Kiss me," I repeated. "Just kiss me one more time, _please_."

Dimitri stared into my eyes for a moment, nodded slightly, and leaned down to press his warm lips against mine.

It started out sweet and tender at first, but quickly picked up. His hands consumed my body, skimming over every inch they could. I sucked on his plump bottom lip and was rewarded with a groan.

Dimitri's large calloused hands trailed down, gripped the back of my thighs, and effortlessly lifted me off the ground. I gasped in surprise and wrapped my legs around his waist.

I ran my hands along his lean back, feeling the mountains of muscles rippling under my touch. Those wonderful hands of his massaged magic into my backside.

Dear God, the things this man did to me.

In my desired frenzy of devouring his lips and body, I accidentally bumped my nose against his. He moaned, but it wasn't from pleasure this time.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot about your broken nose."

A trickle of blood flowed from his nose in a silent river.

After apologizing profusely, I hopped down and ran to my bathroom to retrieve a wash cloth. I handed it to Dimitri.

"Thank you," he smiled and dabbed the crimson liquid. "Don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Maybe I can repay you back in some way…?" I purred, wrapping my hands around his neck and hugging him tightly. He reached around and rested his hands on the small of my back.

"This can't happen." I felt him shake his head.

"Oh, what is that?" I paused. "I think something just poked my stomach…"

I glanced at Dimitri. His eyes widened as big as UFO's, he hastily pulled back and stood there awkwardly. He cleared his throat and casually crossed his arms over his waist, covering that _general_ area.

I threw my head back and laughed. "I was kidding, Comrade…_relax._"

"Oh."

He didn't remove his hands.

I grinned.

And then a thought suddenly popped into my mind. What Dimitri and I just shared (Something I liked to call magic), it would never happen again..._never._ The thought constricted my chest and saddened my heart. Staring at Dimitri now, I already missed kissing him...yearned for his powerful, yet gentle touch. It was like having seconds and thirds of Lissa's bomb ass spaghetti, I always wanted more...so, so much more.

Dimitri, the observer, noticed my change in mood and immediately became concerned. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

I shook my head. "No."

He frowned. "What's wrong then? Your eyes," His thumb traced the sensitive skin beneath my eyes. "They are so sad."

"I just wish we could be together." I whispered.

"We can," Dimitri kissed my lips. "Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday soon…I promise we will. Soon, soon…"

* * *

Despite having just made out with the General, I didn't get any special treatment as I was kicked out of my dorm and sent off to school. I flipped Dimitri off, he grinned and winked back.

Luckily, lunch came by faster than expected. I was soon seated at the familiar table in the cafeteria being interrogated by my friends— Mason, Eddie, and Adrian.

Lissa and Christian were sitting across from me. Oscar trotted happily on the table surrounded by his newest adoring fans. I swear that kitten was St. Augustine's biggest superstar. No student could seem to get enough of his cuteness. He'd even softened some of the toughest staff. It was funny seeing the teachers and guards—all mean and tough looking in their army uniforms— holding and cooing at the orange ball of far. The only person who hadn't cracked from his cuteness was Dimitri. Yeah, Oscar and I were going to have to work hard on that.

"Oh, my gosh..." Alberta held the kitten up to her face and closed her eyes. "He's a beautiful baby. Aww, yes...I wish I could take you home with me."

I giggled.

Alberta cleared her throat embarrassed and gently set Oscar back on the table. "This school prohibits animals on the property,"

Lissa and I frowned.

"_But_...everyone seems to love him so much. I could never ask you to get rid of him. I'd have a lot of unhappy students on my hands if did." she chuckled. "Just make sure you clean up after him and we shouldn't have any problems."

Lissa nodded. "Of course, Sergeant Petrov. Thank you so much."

"Thanks, Ma'am." Christian nodded and gave a lazy smile. Cocky bastard.

Alberta nodded sharply and walked off.

"So, tell us," Mason leaned forward, hands clasped, an eager grin plastered across his freckled face. "How was it...being out in the world all by yourselves?"

"Scary." Lissa said.

"Lame." Christian offered.

"Kick ass," I finished. "I mean, it would have been kick ass if we had been gone longer than four hours."

"Three and a half hours to be exact," Christian corrected, grinning. "It was fun while it lasted, though."

"Agreed."

"What were you guys thinking?" Eddie asked, completely enthralled in the conversation of our dangerous escape. "Are you crazy? General Belikov is going to murder you, bring you back to life, and then murder you again."

"Well, I have yet to receive my punishment," Christian casually rested his arms behind his head. "But I have to see him after school. And I'm pretty our visit isn't going to be about tea and scones and lifetime movies—no matter how much I wish it was."

"I like scones," Lissa nodded.

Mason and I made a sound of disgust.

"They're awful!" he said.

"Agreed." I nodded.

Lissa shrugged.

"So, Little Cadet, how was your punishment?" Adrian spoke up for the first time. I didn't like his tone of voice, it was cocky and snippy. He shot me a pointed look, that smirk told me more than his words ever could—Adrian knew something had happened between me and Dimitri today. And from the way Adrian looked at it, it was something that should have _never_ happened.

Damn it!

I shrugged. "Pretty bad."

"Care to get into details?"

"Dimitri shot a few bamboo slivers under my finger nails, cut my thumbs off, busted a knee cap, and then he threw me into a coffin and buried me alive. That enough details for you?"

Adrian narrowed his emerald green eyes, not amused by my sarcasm. "I'm being serious, what happened in that dorm of yours? The two of you were in there awhile...and when you came out, I couldn't help but notice how happy and giddy you looked."

"Why don't you just burn some candles, go to sleep, and find out? That seemed to work for you earlier when you told Dimitri where our motel was," I snapped. "I trusted you, damn it, and you went behind my back and snitched on us."

I was distantly aware of all my friends staring at us, completely engrossed in our little argument.

"I did what I had to do." Adrian clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "I was just trying to help!"

"Well, I appreciate the effort," I snorted. "But next time, don't. Just stay out of it and mind your own business, you spoiled brat!"

I stood up from my seat and angrily stomped out of the cafeteria.

* * *

My mind kept drifting towards Dimitri—more so than usual, if possible—and that damn kiss...or kisses.

"What's got you so happy, Hathaway?" Mason came up beside me. I hadn't heard him or seen him. Huh. I must have been more zoned out than I originally thought.

"Huh?" Was my genius response.

I walked up to my orange locker and twisted in the combination.

"You're grinning like a fool," he said. "It's because of me, isn't it? You're daydreaming about my naked body in the shower, aren't you?"

"Always." I winked. He smiled smugly. Great, I just boosted his ego up a few notches. Not what I had planned.

I stuffed my text books into the locker and yanked out my gym bag.

"So, I was thinking that..." Mason twisted a lock of fire red hair around one finger nervously. "Maybe I could, I don't know, take you to dinner later?"

I laughed, slammed my locker shut, and flung the duffel bag over my right shoulder. "Don't we always have dinner together?"

"Well, yeah, we do. But that's at the Mess Hall, with everyone around. And..." Mason was stuttering. Oh boy. Something was definitely up.

"And what, Ashford?" I asked. "Spit it out already."

"And I was thinking just you and I could have dinner. No friends. No interruptions." He said confidently. "I know this great place out by the lake. It's hidden and dangerously beautiful, kinda like you. Anyways, I could pack us a picnic and a few blankets. That way you don't get cold and stuff, you know. What do you say?"

Mason grinned widely, but there was tension in his eyes and shoulders. He was waiting for rejection.

"I don't know, Mase..." I stared down at my shuffling feet. "I have after school practice with Dimitri right now. I might be too tired."

"I understand." He said, somewhat sadly. I immediately felt bad. "But just think about it, okay? My offer still stands."

"I will definitely think about it," I said. "Just don't get your hopes up."

"Too late, Hathaway." Mason smiled, did a small bow, and took off in the opposite direction.

"Men." I sighed. "There's too many of them."

I slammed open the gym doors and loved the toasty air that hit me. It beat being out in the winter air. Dimitri arranged it so that my practices were now held inside. It was too freezing to be exercising in 30 degrees and below weather. I shivered at the thought.

I nearly ran to find Dimitri inside. God, I missed him so much already. It literally pained me to be away from him for any amount of time. I wondered if he felt the same way?

It had been eight hours since he'd actually instigated our kiss this morning. The first time we'd been together. The first time we'd kissed. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I imagined him kissing me again, touching me...

I groaned. I was in love; madly, deeply and helplessly in love. I was a teenage girl, obsessed and fascinated with her boyfriend. Could I even call Dimitri that yet? I shook my head.

I'd made fun of girls that were so clingy to their boyfriends before, but now I understood where they were coming from—I was one of them. But Dimitri was one hunk of a man; you can't blame me for wanting to do dirty things with him 24/7...

I frowned in confusion when I finally found Dimitri. He wasn't wearing his usual army uniform that I was so familiar with, instead, he was wearing a suit—black slacks, a white button up shirt, black tie, and a navy coat decorated with all different colored ribbons and shiny gold metals pinned to his shoulders and chest—badges and awards he'd earned over the years.

I ignored his outfit and ran up to peck him on the lips. Dimitri took a step back and cleared his throat harshly.

I stood there, looking stupid and confused, as rejection and hurt filled my body.

"We need to talk, Ms. Hathaway." He said, voice and face void of emotions. "What happened between us earlier, what I did...it should have _never_ happened."

Shock froze my limbs. "You...you. You mean to tell me that you regret kissing me?"

Dimitri's general mask faltered, I saw his face fall with regret. He quickly slipped it back on before I could see anymore. And spoke, in a flat voice, "Yes."

"You're the one who kissed me first! I never tried to throw myself on you. You kissed me first, damn it!" I knew I was repeating myself, but I felt like Dimitri needed to know exactly how I was feeling. "And now you say you regret it. That's fucked up, Dimitri. _Fucked_ up. Stop playing with my emotions, you either want me...or you don't. Simple as that."

"I don't want you." He said crisply.

Tears filled my eyes, I looked up at his blurry shadow. "You told me you wanted to be with me!"

"It was a lie. I was lying." Dimitri's eyes were cold and mean, his lips pursed into a tight line.

"I was lying before when I said this to you," I whispered. "But now I'm not. I mean these three words with every fiber of my being...I _hate_ you. I hate you so much, Dimitri."

Hurt flashed across his eyes. His face crumpled with sadness. "I've only tried to help you, Rose. I never wanted to hurt you. And I most certainly never wanted you to hate me."

A vicious sob shook my body. Dimitri stared at me a moment longer, before turning around and heading towards the Gym doors.

"Where are you going?" I screamed.

"A meeting."

I felt like he was walking out of my life, walking out on me—and in a sick, twisted way, he was. If Dimitri didn't want me, if he wanted to pretend that he didn't have true feelings for me, then so be it. I'd mask my feelings for the man that owned my heart as best I could from now on. I refused to be desperate and beg to have him back. I was going to close that door on our romantic life, it didn't lead to anywhere anyways.

"I...I, we need time apart. Time to think." Dimitri said, holding the door open and glancing back at me. "Practice is canceled for the next two weeks."

"So, you're just going to give up on me?" My voice was hysterical. "This is it for us?"

"There never was an us."

He walked out and the door closed with a quiet _thud._ I felt my heart rip out of my chest and it went right out the door with the man who owned it.

* * *

** As always, let me know what you think! :-)**


	13. Chapter 13: Heartache and Lies

**A/N:**

I want to thank my Beta_ Roza. and .Dimitri.4E _(link to her page on my profile) for writing the picnic scene. You're amazing and totally funny! I wuv you! :-)

And of course, I also want to thank all of you. You guys are the best readers in the world!

This chapter is really long (almost 10,000 words), so get comfy in your seat if you plan on reading it all in one sitting.

On another note, I think I may be writing too much. After I was done editing this chapter, I was exhausted and went to go have a little power nap. Well, when I woke up a few hours later, my mom explained to me that I had been sleep talking the entire time. Apparently, I'd flailed my arms wildly, mumbling "Where's the keyboard? I can't find the keyboard!" over and over and over again. Creepy, huh? Well, I just love you all so much that I risk becoming a sleep deprived maniac. Heck, maybe it's too late for me and I've already become one.

Anyways...without further ado, I present the next chapter to you! :-)

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

* * *

******WARNING: Chapter rated M for gory references and scenes. You've been warned.******

**RPOV:**

I don't remember much of what happened after Dimitri ripped my heart out and left me alone in the gym.

All I remember is pain, so much blinding pain. It consumed my mind and my body entirely. I'd never been rejected like that before. Hell, I don't think I'd been rejected…_ever._ But I guess there's a first time for everything. I just wish I had been rejected by some asshole guy who only wanted to be in my pants. But no, I had to be rejected by a god reincarnate.

I cried my heart out in that gym. Now, every time I'd have to go to that damn gym for class I'd be reminded of the one time the man I held close to my heart shattered and broke me into a million pieces.

I didn't think I could be fixed. I was pretty much ruined.

I screamed and cried Dimitri's name over and over again, feeling helpless and hopeless. Luckily, no one was there to witness my breakdown.

What I do remember clearly was when Mason came to my rescue, just a few hours after Dimitri had gone. I saw his firery red hair bobbing up and down as he ran to me.

"Rose? Rose?" He had said frantically. "Holy shit, is that you?"

I just stared at him, unable to find my voice and communicate like a normal person. Besides, what kind of question as that?

I probably looked like a mental patient. My hair was tangled into a birds nest from the way I'd pulled and yanked clumps of it out of my scalp. My eyes were puffy and swollen, and stuck out like some sort of freaky fish. Tear stains ran up and down my pale cheeks.

A tear escaped Mason's eye. I wanted to ask him why he looked so sad, but I didn't have the energy or heart to do it. After all, Dimitri had taken it from me and stomped on it. I didn't have a caring or compassionate thought within me; I was just a cold and hard empty shell.

"Let's get you cleaned up and into bed, baby," Mason whispered. "You look awful."

"I feel awful," I croaked, speaking for the first time. My throat burned from all the crying I'd done tonight.

Mason stiffened; he looked shocked and surprised that I'd responded. After a moment, he smiled weakly and gently scooped me into his arms. I was brought to his room.

I lay down on his bed and closed my eyes, suddenly feeling very tired and exhausted. Crying will do that to you.

Mason was so sweet and gentle with me that night. He washed my hands with warm water and picked out the tiny splinters I'd gotten from clawing at the gyms wooden floor. He washed my face with cool water and retrieved me something to eat and drink from the cafeteria. He didn't ask why I was crying, or what had happened, he simply took care of me like a great friend would.

I smiled at Mason, truly amazed at how careful and tentative he was with me, as if I was made out of some precious glass. He returned it with his own dazzling smile, but it held a tinge of sadness. I wanted nothing more than to make him happy.

But I still felt so empty, so alone.

I asked him to take me to Lissa's room. I wanted to be with my best friend. I was in need of some serious chunky monkey ice cream. And right now, I wanted to spill all of my guts to her. I needed to. There was no way I could hold this in anymore.

Mason knocked on Lissa's dorm room and glanced down while we waited for her to answer.

"You okay?"

I shrugged and laid my head against his chest. "I'll live."

"I hope so."

Lissa opened the door, looking the way I expected her to—like she'd just rolled out of bed. I did like her silky coral pink nightgown, though. I'd never be able to pull off that color with my olive skin tone.

"What are you doing here?" She mumbled, rubbing her bleary eyes.

Mason went on to explain the situation.

I watched as Lissa went from sleepy and sluggish to alert and awake. She focused in on my tear stained face and immediately became concerned.

"Oh, come here, baby girl." She opened her arms up.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I ran into her comforting embrace.

After thanking Mason, Lissa softly shut the door and helped me to the bed. Wordlessly, she pulled back the pink comforter and patted the sheets. I snuggled into her warm bed and rested my eyes. I felt the bed dip as my best friend sat beside me and started stroking my hair. I made a sound of approval that made Lissa giggle.

We sat there in silence for awhile, until the inevitable question came up…

"What happened?" Lissa asked.

I closed my eyes for half a second, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Time to fess up.

I spilled my guts to my best friend. It was terrifying telling her all of my deepest and darkest secrets. It felt like your worst nightmare—the one where you're naked on stage in front of a thousand people. But in a way, this was a lot worst because I was emotionally exposed.

I left myself vulnerable to criticism as I told her everything about Dimitri. The before and after school practices. The talks. The feelings we had so obviously developed for each other. The heated kiss we'd shared in my dorm, and finally, the talk we'd had in the gym before Dimitri's abrupt departure.

We cried together. And I felt like it brought our bond closer together.

It felt great to tell Lissa, like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I no longer was drowning in the darkness. If I could be open about my relationship with Dimitri to my best friend, then I was completely happy and content with that. I could talk to someone besides myself about the feelings I had for my mentor…

I can't tell you how wonderful that felt, to know I wasn't alone anymore in this.

I didn't know what kind of reaction I expected from Lissa. Disbelieve maybe? Disgust? Hell...maybe she'd go as far as reporting our illegal relationship to the police and get Dimitri arrested.

Her reaction was the last one I'd ever suspect.

"That son of a bitch!"

My eyes widened.

Lissa flung off the bed, huffed in anger, and threw her hands up.

"He's going to kiss you and then just throw you away like, like…like a piece of trash!"

Apparently, she was pretty angry. Her breathing came in ragged gasps and her hands were shaking, she ran them through her hair.

"That stupid, stupid man! He must have a brain the size of a pea if he thinks giving you up is a good idea." she puffed.

"His loss." I shrugged. Why was it so difficult for me to say those two words? Was I accepting defeat?

"We should get him back," Lissa tapped her lilac nails against her chin, deep in thought.

"Like payback?" I asked curiously.

"Exactly!" She shouted victoriously. She then began to whisper, like she was sharing some big forbidden secret with me. "I know this girl, who knows this guy, who knows this other guy, who may…you know…be able to get us some drugs."

"Drugs?" I asked, completely confused. I had no clue where she was going with this.

"Yes, Drugs." Lissa nodded. "We can plant some into his locker or apartment, call the cops, and get his ass arrested."

"You want to set him up?"

I barked out a harsh laugh when she bobbed her head up and down eagerly.

"You're not as innocent as you look,"

"Looks are deceiving," Lissa mumbled. "But that's beside the point. The point is I hate to see my best friend hurt. Especially by some douche bag—"

"Dimitri's not a douche bag," I interrupted.

She waved her hands. "I know, but it feels great to call him one, doesn't it? It eases the pain and the anger and the rejection. Go ahead, Rose, call him a dickhead. Scream it out loud!"

"You're cussing an awful lot tonight, Liss." I commented.

She shrugged. "I've been around you for _way_ too long."

I grinned and then frowned again as the image of Dimitri in his sexy suit popped into my head.

_"That's fucked up, Dimitri. Fucked up. Stop playing with my emotions, you either want me...or you don't. Simple as that."_

_"I don't want you." _

_"You told me you wanted to be with me!"_

_"It was a lie. I was lying." _

The painful lump in my throat was the size of a baseball. I closed my eyes and fought the tears that dared to spill.

"Hey, Liss?"

"Hmm?"

"You know how you're a nurse and stuff, right?"

I didn't really know where I was going with this. But the words just continued to tumble out. I wasn't sure I was even making sense anymore. Maybe I'd lost my mind already. Maybe I'd lost it along time ago when I fell in love with Dimitri.

"Yes." There was a cautious note in her voice, as if she didn't know what to expect next.

"Can you die from a broken heart?"

"No."

"No?"

"No, you can't."

"Why not?" I plucked at the fabric of her blanket absentmindedly. "I feel like I'm going to die. My chest feels like there's a gaping whole in it, as if someone had ripped my heart out and left me there to bleed to death. I'm not hungry—and you know as well as I do, that I'm always hungry. I'm angry and about a million other emotions. And in a weird way, I feel like I'm dying…slowly but surely."

When I saw Lissa's face crumple with sadness, I immediately felt guilty for making her worry about me. I should be protecting my best friend and making her happy, not dumping all of my emotional baggage on her front door step.

"Elephants die from a broken heart."

"Huh?"

"Elephants, they can die from a broken heart." Lissa repeated slowly. "My ex-boyfriends mom was a zoologist. She once told me a story about how Ellie—one of the elephants at the sanctuary—died because she saw her companion die right in front of her. Ellie refused to eat or drink or sleep…or anything else for that matter. She'd just sit there, not moving an inch—even when zookeepers and veterinarians came in to give her her favorite treats. She died of starvation."

"She just let herself die?" I asked, entirely captivated with her little tale.

Lissa nodded sadly. "She was overcome with grief. If she didn't have her companion beside her, then she didn't want to live at all."

"Cool."

She looked horrified.

"No, not cool," I corrected hastily. "I mean it's cool how much she loved her little companion."

"Yeah," Lissa smiled. "Elephants are fascinating animals."

I nodded in agreement.

Lissa suddenly clapped her hands together and ran over to the mirror.

"What are you doing?" I yawned.

"Come here, come here," She waved both her hands. "I want to try something."

"Like what?" I stood up and walked over.

Lissa shoved me in front of her.

"Look in the mirror and tell yourself: _I'm the shit._"

"You just swore…_again_," I laughed.

"No_ shit_ Sherlock," She said with mock attitude. I laughed even harder.

"Now, go ahead, tell yourself you're beautiful." Lissa urged.

"You talk to yourself in the mirror?" I asked.

"All the time."

"Let me see it," I said.

"Very well," She walked up to the mirror and stared at her reflection. "Not bad, Lissa. Great hair and sultry eyes. Not to mention your silky and creamy skin. Christian's one lucky guy."

"You can say that again." I muttered.

"Okay, your turn." Lissa stepped away from the mirror and gestured me to it.

I stared at my reflection. "Eek. Gosh, I'm so ugly that I'm surprised this thing didn't shatter the moment it laid eyes on me. Look at those blood shot eyes and swollen lids. And, oh dear God, those hideous puffy bags—"

"Okay, so not what I was looking for!" Lissa exclaimed, clapping her hands loudly.

I frowned.

"Start over again, Missy," She ordered. "This time, focus on the good and not the bad. And smile, damn it!"

I did, and started over, just like she had told me. "I guess I do have nice hair."

"Mmhmm," Lissa hummed approvingly. She brought one finger up to her chin and watched me.

"I like the color and the natural wave I have going on here. It's pretty soft, and it smells like fruit when I wash it with that new shampoo I got from Target—"

"You're getting off track," Lissa interrupted.

"I could get any guy I wanted," I said to myself.

"Getting better…"

"Well any guy but Dimitri Belikov," I started to cry again. "He doesn't want me."

"Snap out of it!" She said. "You need to get a hold of yourself. You're too good for him. Now, come on, start over _again_."

"I have a nice body," I stared at my legs in the mirror.

"Yes,"

"And nice skin,"

"Definitely."

"And a cute button nose," I said, smiling in the mirror. "My teeth are blinding white, too."

"Now tell yourself something you feel from deep down inside."

"I want to jump Dimitri's bones?"

"No, not that," Lissa shook her head. "Something about yourself. Something that makes you feel better."

"Okay," I took a deep breath and exhaled. Gazing into my own brown eyes in the mirror, I ignored Lissa and spoke directly to myself, "I am beautiful."

Lissa beamed at me. "Say it again, girl!"

I smiled, truly happy. "I am beautiful."

"Again,"

"I am Rose Hathaway and I am beautiful and perfect in my own little way!"

My best friend squealed and ran over to crush me into a fierce hug. "You did it!"

"I did it," I whispered.

Lissa pulled back and smiled widely, those petite arms still wrapped firmly around me. "How do you feel?"

"Better."

And I meant it.

* * *

**1 week later:**

If it weren't for my friends I don't know what I'd do. They were the reason I was healing so fast. As each day passed by, the pain and rejection Dimitri had caused me faded until it was pushed to the back of my brain. It was very easy to ignore.

I hadn't seen Dimitri at all since that day in the gym. I knew he was avoiding me. In a way, I was grateful. I needed to be strong and seeing him right now...well, let's just say one person only has so much strength.

A bigger part of me missed him though. I yearned to see that long and lean body, his masculine face, that silky brown hair, those breathtaking smiles that made my day, and finally…his dark brown eyes. Oh, God. How much I missed looking into Dimitri's eyes. My chest tightened.

I shook my head and took a deep breath.

After much debating with my own mind, I decided to accept Mason's picnic offer, I needed to get my mind busy and off of _him_.

At breakfast, we agreed to meet just off the right side of campus where the security fencing is shorter and easier to get across. Apparently that's the go-to spot for couples who need to get away for a little, _ahem_, alone time.

We were to meet right before sunset, that way there'd still be enough light to get back home after our little trip. I didn't want to be wondering around at night with the murderer on the loose.

It was starting to get really cold at night so before leaving I made sure my black cardigan was wrapped snugly around my body. I slipped out of my window, being careful not to make a sound. Curfew was about an hour ago, so no one should be out and about.

I heard a faint shuffling sound and my breath caught. I did _not_ need a teacher to catch me right now; I only had so many possessions Dimitri could take away from me.

I saw fiery red hair approaching me and I relaxed, it was just Mason. An evil grin was plastered on that adorable face of his and his smile was contagious. We both looked like little kids doing something they know their mothers wouldn't approve of.

He shifted his weight and I noticed a large pack hanging from his back. It was probably loaded with God-knows-what. Candles? A romantic setting? Did he even consider this a date?

I sighed. I really hope not.

I followed him through the forming shadows of the campus buildings. We were careful to be quieter than the dead. When we reached the fence I could've sworn I saw something move behind the administrative building.

"Relax, Hathaway! You act like you've never snuck out before. Don't worry; it's probably a rabbit or something." He whispered, earning a smack in the back of the head from me.

"Oh, believe me; I've snuck out _loads_ of times. Everyone thinks I'm so innocent, but they ain't seen anything yet!" Mason had to stick his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I had to admit, the idea of _me_ being innocent was pretty funny.

When we reached the fence, Mason declared the gentleman should go first, and with a gallant bow, up he went.

He swiftly got to the top, and dropped his bag with a quiet _thud_. He leapt off and was as silent as ever as he waited for me on the other side. The fence here was the shortest because it was in a pretty deserted spot of the campus. It was still a good 7-8 feet tall though. A memory of the rope climb flashed thorough my head and I had to literally shake it away.

My hand shakily grasped the cold chain link and I shoved my fear of heights to the back of my head along with Dimitri. I hoisted myself up, and heard the soft _clink_ of the shaky metal. Soft words of encouragement filled the air as I got closer and closer to the top. I was glad Mason didn't mock me for my fear of heights; I can only imagine what Christian would've said. Once I reached the top, I stared down at my partner in crime and froze.

"It's okay, Rose," he soothed, "If you jump, I'll catch you."

"You swear?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"I swear I won't let anything happen to you."

_I won't let anything happen to you_. That's almost exactly what Dimitri had told me. Would he approve of me and Mason? Or would he call me a child? I'd say the latter.

Knowing Mason wouldn't let me down, I held my breath, and jumped. I felt the cold air whoosh around, and then Mason's strong arms under mine.

"See?" he breathed, his warm breath tickling my face. "I caught you."

I looked up into those blue eyes of his and smiled, aware of how close our bodies were.

"My hero!" I sang, kissing his cheek and flinging my arms around his neck.

Soon we were both laughing and slowly making our way to a clear area in the woods. We (and by we, I mean Mason) had to cut through a ton of trees and brush to make it to our desired spot.

When we finally got there, Mason laid down a giant baby blue quilt along with our dinner—ham sandwiches, potato chips, a couple cans of soda, and some chocolate chip cookies. I approved.

"You know me so well, Ashford." I grinned up at him.

This got a chuckle and an eye roll.

The picnic was nice. I admired Mason's efforts to make me comfortable and the way he was always sweet to me. I relaxed about halfway through my second sandwich when I realized he wasn't trying to make any romantic advances. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle that. He was just being a great and caring friend. And that's exactly what I needed right now.

* * *

**DPOV:**

**1 week later:**

"He's getting more daring," Detective Smith said, jotting words down on his notepad.

"He?" I asked slowly.

"No way a woman could do this," He shook his head and took a drag of his cigarette. The wind picked up the smoke and drifted it towards me; the bitter tobacco smell invaded my nostrils. I made a sound of disgust and started coughing.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked around my fits of coughing, wincing each time the shattered bone in my nose moved. "I am sure a woman is capable of this."

"Anything is possible," Detective Smith shrugged and stomped on his cigarette. I instantly felt relieved. "But it is highly unlikely."

"I wouldn't eliminate females from your line of suspects just yet."

"Of course not."

"Good, I'm glad we're clear." I nodded.

I glanced down at the dead body. My stomach tightened and I bit back the bile that threatened to rise in my throat. The second known murder victim, Camille Conta, lay at my feet. Her sunshine hair spilled out across the green grass, her pale blue eyes open and blank. Her skin was deathly pale, whiter than the snow floating around in the freezing winter air.

Camille's body looked sickeningly…_alive._ You can thank the temperature for that. Cold will preserve the body and evidence longer than the heat will, like meat you throw into the freezer—it stays fresher longer.

She was seventeen, so young that she hadn't even had a chance to live yet when her life was abruptly taken from her. I gritted my teeth and balled my hands into fists.

I needed to catch this murderer. And I needed to catch whoever it was before they strike again. I was indescribably angry with myself at the fact that I had failed to catch the culprit yet. By not catching them—or him, or her, or both, or whatever, I had not succeeded in keeping my students safe. And that was unacceptable.

I crouched down and gazed at the three distinctive purplish-blue rings around her neck.

"The cause of death was strangulation, much like Meredith's." Detective Smith said.

"Obviously," I replied dryly.

My eyes traveled from her face, to her naked chest. It was open and hollow. Her rib cage sawed open, her insides—or what used to be her insides—were visible and red.

Camille's red and pink flesh was exposed, muscles ripped and torn, her heart missing. I couldn't imagine the pain she had gone through.

And that's when the vomit came. I hurled forward and empty the contents of my stomach into a nearby bush. My abdomen continued to convulse even after nothing came up. I was dry heaving.

It took a lot to get me to vomit; I rarely did so, even if I'd seen someone else get sick in front of me. The last time I remembered I vomited, I was ten years old, just a kid. I'd came home from school to find my mother sprawled on the kitchen floor unconscious, fresh bruises displayed all over her face, blood leaking from her nose and the corner of her mouth. She had been beaten badly at my father's wrath. I had believed she was dead at the time. That was one of those situations that instantly make you sick.

This was another.

Stan came up behind me and patted my back in understanding. He wordlessly handed me a plastic cup filled to the brim with ice-cold water. I nodded my thanks and took the cup. The first sip I used to rinse out the putrid taste from my mouth, I swirled the water in my mouth, and spit it onto the dirt.

I greedily drink down the rest of the cup, my throat working and convulsing with each sip of the crisp, cool water. The burning in my throat subsided and I instantaneously felt relieved.

Detective Smith eyed me strangely. "You gonna be okay, boy?"

"Dimitri," I corrected. "And yes, I'll be fine. I just had a moment of weakness."

He choked on laughter. "Oh, the irony."

My irritation spiked. I worked on keeping my guardian mask in place. "I do not understand what you mean by that, Detective."

"I've been on the force for twenty five years," He lit another cigarette and took a drag before speaking again. "My first job, I was a police officer in Chicago." He shook his head and laughed somewhat bitterly. "I've seen many things in my years, many things no one should ever have to see. It'll mess up your head, if you let it."

I nodded, not really listening to a word he was saying. All of my attention was focused on the girl near my feet. I continued my search of her dead body. My eyes traveled past her bare chest to her naked stomach and legs. Blood. Blood. And more blood. Bright Cherry red liquid spilled across the blinding white snow. I decided right then and there, that I hated those two colors.

Camille's stomach had been sliced open. I spotted intestines amongst more hollowness. More vital organs removed.

"This case is pretty much identical to victim number ones," Detective Smith explained. "The heart, liver, kidneys, and the pancreas have been removed."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Stop it. I've heard all that is needed to be heard."

I suddenly wondered what it would be like to find Rose's body dumped out here, in the middle of the campus, naked and humiliated. Her body sliced up like some animal. Those beautiful brown eyes blank and lifeless, staring at everything and nothing.

I threw up again.

"Well, we might not have any new leads yet," The detective said. "But one thing is for sure: the killer is getting more daring, careless…and _desperate_."

"Why would you assume that?" I swallowed another cup of water.

"The body was dumped during the day," he said. "If that's not stupid, then I don't know what is. Whoever it is, they're getting riskier and riskier. I say it's only a matter of time before we catch this maniac."

Although not entirely convinced and satisfied by his words, I slowly nodded my head up and down. "Good."

* * *

"I don't want you talking to her anymore." I spoke rapidly in Russian to my mother, Olena. The silver cell phone pinched between my ear and shoulder as I pulled on my jeans.

I heard her long, drawn out breath. "Dimka, I don't really have a choice."

"Of course you do," I fought the snort that dared to escape my mouth. Little things like that ticked off my mother. It was a major sign of disrespect in her household and she wouldn't have it.

"You don't understand, son." Mama said. "It is more complicated than you think it is."

"Then explain it to me," I glanced at my watch. "Dinner's not for another forty-five minutes. I have plenty of time."

I was met by dead silence, and then a moment later, she spoke in a defeated tone. My mother knew I wasn't one to give up or handle situations lightly. "Natasha, well, she's a very special and complicated girl."

The snort escaped my mouth involuntarily.

"Dimka!" she scolded.

I smiled so widely that my cheeks ached. "What, mamma? What did I do?"

"You know exactly what you did," She said around laughter.

"I'm sorry," I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. "Please continue on with what you were saying before I rudely interrupted you."

"She's emotionally unstable." Mama said. "This woman, she needs help. And not the kind of help I can offer her with hour's long conversations on the telephone."

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be sorry, son." she said. "I am the one who answers when she calls."

"That you do, that you do."

"Natasha needs professional help, Dimitri." At the use of my full name, I took it as a bad sign. I knew my mother was being serious. "I'm afraid she will end up hurting herself."

"She's a grown woman," I spoke in a clipped tone. "We are no longer engaged. I have no obligations to her. Tasha can take care of herself."

My mother made a sound of disgust. "I raised you better than that, Dimitri. You should be ashamed of yourself."

I sighed.

A minute of silence passed between us. The only sound I was able to hear was her soft breathing and I know that she is deep in thought.

"I just want you to help her out," Mama finally said. "No matter how little the gesture is—saying good morning, taking her to lunch, or simply talking with her. Just, I don't know, try and make her feel better about herself. I cannot take this anymore, it's been weighing so heavily on me, Dimka. She calls me every night crying about how much she misses being with you—"

"Fine," I cut her off. "I'll do it."

"What?" She asked in disbelief. When have I not done something she's asked of me? If my mother were to say jump, I'd say how high.

"I'll talk to Tasha and see what I can do." I rubbed my forehead in irritation. The tension in my neck and shoulders made me even more tired than I already was. I needed a break from work. I was thankful that I had the next four days off because of holidays and fall break.

My mother thanked me repeatedly, followed by excited squeals and hard laughter. The relief in her voice made me smile and I was glad that I chose to help Tasha out. I'd do anything to make Mama happy.

Sometime later, I told her I had to get off of the phone because I was running late for dinner.

"Happy Thanksgiving, baby," Mama said. "I pray for your health and happiness everyday."

"Don't worry about me," I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly. "Just pray that we catch this killer."

"I do, Dimka, I do." I heard a tremulous note in her voice.

"What is wrong, Mama?" I asked, instantly becoming concerned. "Please tell me. I am worried about you."

"Don't be troubled with me, Dimka." She sighed sadly. "You just worry about keeping yourself safe, okay?"

I nodded, realized she couldn't see it, and reluctantly say, "Okay. I'll talk to you soon, Mama. I miss you."

"I miss you, too, my son." She whispered. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

I slammed the phone shut and slipped the tiny device into my pocket.

Today had been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, and I wasn't sure how much I could take before I snapped. I prayed I could make it through this dinner.

* * *

Victor Dashkov's estate was approximately fifteen minutes from the academy, so I didn't think I would have trouble finding it. The directions Tasha had given me were moderately simple. The area was a good distance from the other houses; say several miles or so, with large pine trees that kept the place hidden and quiet.

I admired his taste. I always wondered what it would be like to settle down with a woman, buy a rural home, have a few children, and live the rest of my life in quiet tranquility.

I immediately scolded myself when all I pictured was Rose and our children as my future. I was constantly battling off my feelings for her. It was extremely tiresome always having some internal war going on within me.

After pushing my fantasies and selfish wants aside, I pulled up to the wrought iron gates and punched in the code I'd been given. They slowly spread open and I parked my SUV next to Victor's other cars—a silver Lamborghini, orange Ferrari, Porsche Carrera GT, and Vasilisa Dragomir's Mercedes Roadster.

As Rose would put it, I was entirely obsessed and fascinated with fast and expensive automobiles.

I'd been invited by Tasha—who was great friends with Victor—to this Thanksgiving dinner, and considering my family was in Russia and I had no other place to go besides the mess hall, I took her up on the offer.

I only hoped I didn't regret it later on.

* * *

**RPOV:**

Victor's house was nice and bigger than any other one I'd ever seen before. It was made out of red bricks and had dozens of windows—big, medium, and small. The grass and leafless bushes lay covered in a blanket of snow.

I was so preoccupied gaping at the mansion that I didn't pay attention to my footing; I slipped on a sheet of ice. Luckily, Andre's hand shot out and caught me around the waist before my ass made contact with the concrete ground.

"Whoa there, girl," He smiled down at me. "Take it easy."

"That ice came out of nowhere."

The corner of his mouth twitched and his jade green eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'll get uncle to have his servants put some salt out here immediately."

"You do that, rich boy." I said sardonically.

"Andre Dragomir!" That strong voice belonged to Eric—Lissa's father. "How many times have I told you _not _to flaunt your money around?"

The five of us laughed.

"I think you are referring to my good looks and charming personality, father," Andre shot back, his tone playful. "That is something I cannot control."

The two of them continued on with their banter while Rhea—Lissa's mother—just shook her head and laughed.

When we got to the door, I rang the doorbell and my best friend ran up to me. She linked her arm through mine. "They're not so bad, huh?"

"No, I don't know why I was so nervous to meet them," I shook my head. "I was expecting them to be rich snobs…but they're actually pretty cool."

Simultaneously, the two of us turned our heads to glance at the three of them. They all looked strikingly similar—platinum blonde hair, jade green eyes, pale skin, tall, slender bodies.

I swear they were like the Barbie version of the Adam's family.

"Andre's got the hots for you," Lissa whispered. "I can tell from the way he looks at you."

"Eh. He's not really my type."

"Do you even have a type?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "Tall, dark and handsome. Loves anything cowboy related. Wears an army uniform. Russian. General. Is this ringing a bell, Liss?"

"Coming!" A male voice—who I believed belonged to Victor—shouted from inside the house. "Just one more moment, please. I wasn't expecting you guys to come so early!"

"It's fine, don't worry." Eric called out. "We'll be waiting; we're not going anywhere anytime soon."

"Yeah, we won't be if we freeze into icicles," Andre pulled his jacket tighter. "It's beyond cold out here."

I rolled my eyes. Guys can be so whiny sometimes. That's why women were chosen to give birth. Men wouldn't be able to handle it.

Lissa socked my arm. "Get your mind off of Dimitri, Rose! He doesn't want you."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I can't. He's stuck in my brain—just like my smartness is. He's not going anywhere."

"Oh, yes he is."

_Wham._

My eyes snapped open. I rubbed the burning spot on my cheek where Lissa had just bitch slapped me.

Rhea gasped.

"Don't worry, Mom," Lissa smiled sweetly at her. "We were just playing around."

"What was that for?" I whispered yelled.

"I wanted you to focus on something else besides Dimitri," she answered. "Pain helps take your mind off of things for a moment, doesn't it? Would you like me to stomp on your foot, too?"

"What? No."

"Then forget about Dimitri and focus on having a good time at this dinner tonight," Lissa said. "Besides, you practically have all of the guys drooling over you in that dress. I've even caught my dad checking you out a few times."

She leaned forward and snapped the strap of the blood red dress I'd purchased at the mall a few weeks back. I had to admit, I did look smokin' hot. My chestnut hair was pinned into an elegant updo, my makeup minimal, and to complete the look, a pair of killer black pumps.

"Ew!" I covered my mouth. "No he is _not!_"

"Oh, yes he is." she smiled deviously.

"Hey, babe! That was so hot." Christian puffed, jogging up to us. "I saw you slap Rose from the gates and I have to admit…that was a complete turn on."

I gaped. Lissa blushed.

How could he have just said that in front of her parents and brother? I hope they kick the shit out of him.

Instead, Eric did something that made my jaw drop to the floor.

He reached forward, captured Christian into a head lock, and rubbed his knuckles against his raven black hair. It was a real father/son moment.

"That's my boy!" He grinned. "Where have you been?"

Eric released Christian. He stepped back, smoothed down his messy hair and white button up shirt before speaking again. "I had to walk here—"

"You had to walk here?" Eric demanded, shooting Lissa an angry glare. "He had to walk here? Why didn't you tell me? We could have picked him up."

She gulped. Christian was quick to diffuse the fire. "No, no. It's my fault, Eric. I wasn't sure if I was coming, so I told her not to worry about me. Don't yell at her."

Eric visibly relaxed and exhaled. "Very well. It doesn't matter how you got here. What matters is that you're here, with your family, and we get to spend the holidays together."

Christian gave Eric a genuine smile—one without cockiness or sarcasm, just pure happiness. It was so rare to see him that way. He only shared smiles like that with Lissa. "Thank you."

Christian gave Rhea a hug and patted Andre on the back in a manly gesture. They exchanged their sweet greetings before Christian ran up and gave Lissa a kiss on her pink frosted lips.

"You look beautiful, babe." He glanced down at her snow-white dress.

"Thank you." Lissa lit up like a Christmas tree. Oh, the joys of being young and in love.

A slow, up-to-no-good grin twisted at his mouth. Christian bent down and whispered in her ear, "I cannot wait until I rip that dress off later—"

The door suddenly flung open, revealing a flustered looking Victor in an impeccably fitted black suit. He plastered a smile on his face. "Welcome to my home! Now come in, come in. You all must be freezing out there."

Lissa walked in first and pecked him on the cheek. "It's so good to see you uncle."

"The pleasure is all mine, dear."

"Where is MaryAnne? May we see her?" Lissa asked.

Victor face pinched in worry, probably at the thought of his ill wife. Poor guy. That's how the universe works though—bad things happen to good people.

"No, unfortunately you cannot, dear. Mary has just been through a terrible session of chemo therapy," He sighed and rubbed his forehead, the sadness was clear in his green eyes. "No one is allowed to be by her right now except for the nurse."

Lissa frowned and nodded sympathetically. "I am so sorry, uncle."

"Yeah, me too," I gave Victor an awkward half-hug and stood beside my best friend.

"Thank you. But please, let's not bring down this wonderful dinner I have planned with such gloom talk."

"Mmkay." I was more than willing to agree to that. Talking about Victor's sick wife was uncomfortable for me, considering I wasn't part of the family.

"I must say, Rosemarie," Victor said. "You look absolutely stunning."

"Thanks, Victor."

"Uncle," he corrected. "Please, call me uncle."

"Uncle," I nodded. "Got it."

The rest of them shuffled in and after our long drawn-out greetings, Victor ushered us into the dining room. He disappeared into the kitchen after explaining that he had to check how the food was coming.

"I can't believe that bastard has chefs!" I said to Lissa and Christian, who were currently huddled in the corner making out.

Lissa pulled back and Christian made a sound of protest.

"Oh, keep it in your pants big boy," I said. "We're at a dinner party and her parents are here."

"They don't mind, believe me," Christian said. My face scrunched up in disgust. "They just want Lissa to start pumping out babies. Isn't that correct, honey?"

My best friend giggled and I swear I wanted to slap her so hard. "Well, yes, you are. But he didn't mean it in such a blunt way."

"What? Why do they want you to have kids?" I asked. "You're only eighteen."

She shrugged. "Don't really know. Mom and Dad just want more little Dragomir's running around I guess—"

Lissa was caught off with a shiver as Christian ran his hands up and down her shoulders. She closed her eyes in pleasure.

Christian grinned wickedly at me.

"Stop it!"

He dropped his hands. "Sorry," He looked anything but. "I guess I just have that affect on ma' lady."

Three servants exited the kitchen with large trays in their hands.

"Appetizers!" I squealed excitedly and waved at the male servant. He smiled and walked over.

"Ohh, shrimp and cocktail," I rubbed my hands together before grabbing a tooth pick and plopping one into my mouth. "Yum, yum! My favorite!"

Beside me, Lissa whispered to the handsome caterer, "Food makes her happy."

I ignored her.

I had nearly cleared half of the shrimp when Tasha and Dimitri arrived. I instantly lost my appetite.

I felt a stab of jealousy. She looked so beautiful in her royal blue dress. I bet Dimitri had run his fingers through that shiny black hair before, probably even pulled on it a few times—if ya know what I mean.

I suddenly didn't feel so pretty in my satin red dress.

Christian happily ran over to greet his aunt.

"Aren't you going to say hi?" Lissa asked.

"Nope." I snagged a champagne glass from a passing caterer. Much to my utter disapproval, it was only sparkling cider. I was hoping for something stronger. Something that would help make this dinner less painful.

Lissa gave me a sad smile and walked over to greet Dimitri and Tasha. I knew she was only being polite, but some part of me still wished that she had stuck by my side and ignored those buttheads.

I caught Dimitri's eye for half a second, his gaze was appreciative as those dark eyes traveled up and down my body. I quickly looked away. I wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction of seeing me shiver.

* * *

**DPOV:**

I gritted my teeth and ripped my hand from Tasha's.

That red dress…that damn dress…

It looked _so_ good on Rose.

Why did my jeans suddenly feel tighter?

* * *

**RPOV:**

"You've got a pretty nasty gash on your eyebrow, Uncle Viktor." Lissa said. "Let me have a look at it."

He grabbed her hands and gently pushed her away. "I assure you I am fine, dear. It was just Bruce. That cat is so full of energy."

"Oh, gosh darn!" She screamed so loud that it captured the attention of everyone in the room. "I was so going to bring Oscar. I cannot believe I forgot him."

"Oscar?" Victor asked curiously.

"A kitten," Lissa smiled. "Rose gave him to me as an early birthday present."

"That is very kind of you, Rosemarie." Victor said. "Perhaps we can arrange a play date for the two of them. I'm sure Bruce would be delighted to have a friend over."

"I'm sure he would be." I mumbled. There must have been attitude in my tone because Lissa elbowed me in the ribs.

After nodding, Victor ran back into the kitchen to check on the food again.

"Look at all his ugliness," Lissa scowled. She was staring straight at Dimitri and Tasha across the room; the two were apparently in an entrancing conversation.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of sparkling cider. "He's not ugly."

"No, you're right. He's not." Her jade green eyes traveled up and down Dimitri, searching for any flaws. Yeah, pointing out his non-existent problems was going to make me feel better about myself. Note the sarcasm.

"Well, he's really tall," Lissa mumbled. "Maybe too tall. Just look at those hideous long legs…"

"I think his lean legs are _muy_ _delicioso_."

"I didn't know you speak Spanish,"

"I don't."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, okay, maybe his legs aren't his problem….after all, they do look pretty powerful. Just imagine what he would look like naked." Lissa gnawed on her manicured finger nail, those green eyes were glazed over as she stared at Dimitri a moment too long.

"Damn it, Lissa! You're _sooo _not helping," I exclaimed. "Don't undress him with your eyes."

She jumped and shook her head before turning her attention towards me. "I wasn't undressing him with my eyes."

"Yes, you were."

Lissa shrugged, "So what? I think he's single. Let a girl have a little fun." She said defensively.

"You're supposed to boost my self esteem and confidence by making fun of Dimitri," I placed my hand on my hip. "Not raping my mentor with your gaze."

"Fine, what about his hair," Lissa said.

"What about his hair?" I asked.

"It's too long. It practically reaches his shoulders," She snorted and made a funny face. "It's like: _Come on, Dimitri! Get a haircut already, will ya? You're not a girl!_"

"I love his hair."

"Me too."

"Okay, this is not working," I finished off my sparkling cider and left it on the table.

"You're probably right," Lissa mumbled. "I'm sorry, Rose."

I shook my head and waved her off. "Nonsense. Don't be."

The kitchen doors flew open, revealing Victor and a few of the chefs. "The food is ready everyone. Shall we enjoy this feast?"

The first chef set the massive and juicy-looking turkey onto the table.

I was more than ready to enjoy this feast.

* * *

**DPOV:**

Seeing Rose at Thanksgiving dinner, in that dress, it was all too much for me. I couldn't handle it anymore. My brain was practically poisoned with Rose. My mind revolved around her constantly, just like the earth spins around the sun and the moon.

I needed to get my mind off of her—even if it was just for a second. I didn't like to use women, but I believed this situation was an exception. And Tasha was more than willing to satisfy my needs.

I laid her naked body down on my bed and she kissed me. The whole world faded away and all of my attention went to her. Tasha. I put my hands on familiar parts of her body, pressed my naked flesh against familiar territory…and I gave into temptation.

* * *

Earlier that next morning, I saw Tasha's naked body snuggled into my chest and I felt absolutely disgusted and ashamed of myself. Sure, I was a man and I had needs…but I should have shown more control.

I used a woman for sex. I was no better than my father.

But seeing Rose in that dress…that was my undoing. I lost it.

A cold shower was just what I needed.

After the shower, I dressed in my uniform and headed off to the gym. Luckily, Tasha was still asleep when I exited my apartment.

Today Rose and I would resume our morning and even practices. I still couldn't believe it had been two whole weeks since I'd kissed her. My mind was still reeling from the memories.

I tried my best not to think of what I did to Rose in the gym that day, the way I had left her there. The anguished expression and her face full of tears still haunt me. But I did what was necessary and I cut off all ties to her. I could tell she was becoming too emotionally attached to me, as I was to her…and that issue needed to be stopped.

I took a deep breath before opening the gym doors. Surprisingly, my student was early for practice today.

"I surrender," Rose said. "I'm holding up the white flag. I know what we did was wrong. And will never happen again—no matter how much I wish it would. But I've come to terms with the fact that you and I can't be together. I'm sad about it, but I accept it. And I know I'm rambling right now…but I have to get this off of my chest."

She inhaled deeply, apparently out of breath from her little speech. "I just want us to move on, Dimitri. I hate when we fight. Can we, I don't know….be friends?"

Although a part of me was proud that she was acting so mature and grown up, a bigger part of me, that suspiciously felt like my heart, was distraught at the thought of her not wanting me anymore.

It was a selfish thought. I immediately shoved it to the back of my brain with all my other illogical thoughts.

I walked over and pulled her close to me, whispering how much I cared about her in Russian. I wrapped my arms around her and I could tell she was stunned by her stiff posture. She relaxed a minute later and hugged me back. Her body was so warm and soft against mine….she felt _so_ right. In a strange way, I felt home again. I caught the aroma of her skin and perfume mingled together; it smelled like freshly baked vanilla cookies. I love cookies.

"Is that a yes or a no?" She chuckled.

"Yes. I'd love that, Roza."

"Thank you." Her voice was husky and raw with emotion.

"Where's your white flag?" I teased.

"Hmm?" She hummed confused.

"You said you were waving the white flag," I paused. "Let's see it. I want to see you surrender."

"Oh, right," Roza pulled back and I immediately felt the loss and hollowness return to by body. I gazed at her longingly as she ran over and searched for something in her duffel bag.

Roza ripped out a red jacket and swung it above her head, spinning circles into the air.

"That's not white,"

"It's good to know that you're not color blind," Roza replied sarcastically.

The corner of my lips quirked in amusement.

"Look, it's the best I can do." Her hands settled down on the beautiful curves of her hips.

_Stop it, Dimitri!_

I gritted my teeth and cursed loudly in Russian.

"You know," Rose said. "It's rude to speak Russian in front of people who do not understand the language. If you're going to talk shit about me, do it in English so I know what you're saying."

"First of all, don't tell me what to do. I am your teacher," I smiled at the angry look that passed her face. "And second of all, I was not talking _shit_ about you."

She started laughing uncontrollably.

"What?" I asked, getting rather annoyed.

"Nothing." Rose bit her lip. "I just find it funny when you swear."

"I am glad I amuse you." I started setting up the sparring mats and ordered her to begin her warm-up stretches. She obliged.

"Hey, Comrade," Rose smiled mischievously. I equally loved and hated that mysterious and sexy look on her face. I knew she was up to no good.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously.

"I have something that's white that I could use as the flag."

"And what would that be?"

"My bra," The shrilling giggles that came out of her mouth was adorably cute and I found myself smiling from seeing her in such a good mood. "I could rip it off and swing it around, if you'd like."

My eyes widened. I cleared my throat and glanced at her. "Absolutely not."

My ultimate fantasy flashed before my eyes. Roza in nothing but a soaked white t-shirt. Her thick hair wild and wet, sun kissed skin glistening with a thousand diamond-like droplets of water, those mile long legs wrapped tightly around my body.

I quickly blinked the mental picture away.

This woman is going to be my undoing.

"You're impossible," Rose threw her hands up and mumbled something about how I never let her have any fun.

"So are you."

Maybe we weren't best friends now, but I believed the two of us had a mutual understanding. It was something. And something is always better than nothing.


	14. Chapter 14: Trust issues

**A/N: **Thank you all _sooooo_ much for the reviews! It means the world to me. **  
**

My Beta didn't edit this chapter, thanks to my impatience. So for any mistakes, I take full blame!

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy. I just own this plot :)**

* * *

**Chapter rated T for strong language. M scenes will be marked.**

**RPOV:**

I was so giddy to get to morning practice that I was practically dancing around in the shower while scrubbing watermelon shampoo through my hair.

I was so happy and relieved after "making up" with Dimitri yesterday that he was all I could think about. I was glad that we were back on good terms again. I couldn't wait to get back to our playful banter and teasing again.

I waved my hands in the shower and dunked my head under the faucet, allowing the hot water to wash out the soap.

"I want to stand with you on a mountain!" I screamed. "I want to bathe with you in the sea!"

Yeah, I was so head over heels in love that I was singing "Truly, madly, deeply" by Savage Garden. Right now, it felt like that song was written for Dimitri and me.

"I want to lay like this forever, ohhh," I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair. "Until the sky falls down on meeeeeee!"

I was caught off by someone laughing. I immediately froze.

In that moment, I was so grateful that Dimitri had purchased me a new "under the sea" shower curtain. It was a dark blue with all sorts of colorful fish. The whole point of it was to give me some privacy because Dimitri knew I hated the standard see-through shower walls here at St. Augustine's. You wouldn't be able to get a glance of my naked body unless you peeked your head through.

"Who's there?" I shouted.

"The police," I recognized that snarky voice straight away. "We've received a few frantic calls at the station; all claiming there were loud screams coming from this room. They reported hearing a dieing animal. Ma'am, can you please tell me where you are hiding this distraught animal?"

"Get out of here, Christian!" I said. "I'm going to tell Lissa that you're perving on her best friend in the shower."

"Oh, please," he snorted. "I'd rather cut my dick off before I saw you in the nude. I just came by to drop off these shoes."

I saw his pale hand peek above the top of the shower. There was a shiny black box in his palm with the words _JIMMI CHOO_ on the side.

I screamed. "Get out of here!"

"Don't worry, Physco. I'm not trying to look at you," he laughed. "I was sent by ma' lady to return these high-heels that she borrowed from you. She was unable to do it herself because she's working."

"Place them on the toilet," I said. "And get the fuck out!"

"Alright, alright. Don't need to be so snippy. Their on the toilet," he said. "I'm outta here. Tip for next time: Don't leave your door unlocked so strangers can come wandering into your room while you're in the shower."

"Bye." I turned off the faucet and wrapped a towel around my body.

"Oh, and by the way," I heard his cocky voice from the door way. "I was kidding earlier when I said that I was a police officer. But your singing really does sound like an animal being tortured."

I flipped Christian off and slammed the door shut on his laughing face.

After drying off, I slipped into some black yoga pants and a tight red tank top. I didn't bother putting on a bra. Yeah, I was playing dirty today. I applied some lip gloss and my favorite vanilla lotion, locked my door, and headed off to the gym.

I paused at the door, hating myself for being so weak. I just kept remembering those heart wrenching words Dimitri had said. I could practically hear him whispering them into my ear now…

_It should have __never__ happened._

_There never was an us…_

I used my inhaler twice before plastering a confident smile on my face and opening the doors.

"Howdy, Comrade!" I said in my best accent—which was no doubt, absolutely horrible.

Dimitri arched an eyebrow; those brown eyes glinted in amusement. "Howdy?"

The smile in his voice made me giggle. "Yep, that's how all the cowboys greet one another. Right?"

"Occasionally, yes…"

"Well howdy, then! Wait no, no…" I said. "Howdy, you little Russian cowboy!"

Dimitri's full lips quirked. His tone was light and playful. "_Little?_"

"Well, if you would like to prove me wrong," My eyes flashed down to his crotch area. "Then by all means, pull down those army pants and show me whatcha' got—"

Dimitri hissed something in Russian. "Get to stretches now, Rose!" he scolded.

I held up my hands. "Jeeze, no need to get _so_ defensive. If you are lacking in that certain area, there is no reason to be insecure about it. Some girls don't care about size. However, in my book, size means _everything_."

He cocked a dark brow. "Oh, believe me. I have absolutely _nothing _to be insecure about."

I think my jaw just hit the ground.

Dimitri clapped his hands together. "Laps, now!"

**=X=**

"But, but, Comrade!" I whined on my fifth mile, my feet pounded loudly on the shiny hardwood floor. "I'm used to four miles, not six. My legs feel like they're on fire!"

"Good," He said, effortlessly jogging beside me, sweat glistening his tan skin. "They're supposed to."

"That's all you got?" I puffed. "A four-word response? You're not much of a chatter."

"Never have been one."

"I can tell," I snorted.

"You know, if you didn't talk so much, you'd save a lot of energy." We crossed the 6th lap. That meant we were half way done with the last mile. Yippee!

"I know I would," I gasped. "But I'm pissed and I want you to know."

"Believe me, I do." Dimitri chuckled. I glanced at him. Those dark eyes were focused on the trail ahead of us, but he was smiling. His long legs moved back and forth gracefully, those muscular arms were following his lower body. God, was there ever a time this man _didn't_ look good?

"You're funny looking!"

He outright laughed. "You talk too much."

"Yeah, well," We passed our 8th lap. "You're stupid."

Wow. Where were my good comebacks? I blamed the lack of oxygen being sent to my brain from the excess amounts of running. I usually excelled at making people feel horrible about them selves.

"Ouch, that hurt," Dimitri said. "But, at least I have an attention span longer than that of a goldfish."

"Hey!" I punched him in the arm and attempted to shove him, but he shoved me right back and I fell straight on my ass.

Dimtri didn't wait for me to recover. Instead, he smiled cockily and continued to run as if nothing had happened. I huffed, stood up, and reluctantly joined him.

I was so happy when we'd finished our last lap.

"Twenty chin ups," Dimitri started his cool down stretches.

"Chin upsssssss?" I dragged out the words in the most annoying voice. "Those are hard!"

He ignored me by pulling out a western novel and parking himself on a nearby chair.

"Dimitri!"

"Hmm?" he didn't take his eyes away from the page.

"I don't want to do them."

"You have to."

"But Comrade," I stomped my foot on the ground. "My arms feel like jelly!"

"Just do them."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Just do them," Dimitri repeated, completely fixated on the page he was reading.

"I want to jump your bones. Right here. Right now. Up against the lockers. Me, plus you, minus our clothes."

No response.

Yeah, he defiantly didn't hear me. Damn that western novel.

"I'm pregnant. Adrian and I are going to get married…move somewhere far, far away and live happily ever after."

Dimitri flipped a page.

"Ah, damn. Never mind." I grasped the handle bar. "I'll just do the chin ups."

**=X=**

"Movie night, movie night!" Lissa bounced all over my room, squealing like an excited animal.

"MOVIE NIGHTTTTTTT!" Christian roared, and then did a back flip—knocking over my mug that was placed on my desk in the process.

"Damn it, Christian. You wasted all of that Dr. Pepper for nothing." I dabbed at the stain in the carpet with a dirty shirt. "What the hell are you so excited about? I didn't know you were into silent movies."

"I'm not," he shot Lissa a wicked grin. "But it gives me an excuse to feel up ma' lady in the dark."

The two of them started full on making out—groping, moaning, pulling on hair—right in front of me.

"Christian." Lissa gasped pulling him closer. He responded with a loud groan.

"Oh, come on!" I fake gagged. "At least wait until we get there."

"Sorry," Christian pecked Lissa's rose-stained cheeks four times on each side before pulling back. "It's just…when I get around Lissa, I forget that other people are around. Her beauty is so mesmerizing—"

"Blah, blah, blah, blah. Just shut up." I clicked off the lights and pushed the happy couple out of my dorm. "Let's go."

We walked into the mess hall—which had been transformed into a movie theater. The tables were folded and propped up on nearby walls, there were couches and blankets everywhere, students huddled by their friends and boyfriends, munching on popcorn and anything else the cafeteria offered. But what caught my eye was the giant screen up in the front. Yipee!

"Looks like we're late," Lissa whispered. "Everyone's already here."

"I know, let's hurry up and get our snacks." I ran over to the food table.

Ethan smiled. "Popcorn, Ms. Hathaway?"

"Yep."

"What size?"

"Extra large, please."

While he was busy filling up my order, I snatched up two cream soda's, a box of dots, and a package of peanut clusters.

"Here," he handed me the giant tub. "I hope you enjoy the movie."

"I probably won't," I said. "But I can guarantee you that I'll enjoy the snacks."

Lissa and Christian grabbed a medium popcorn and a package of good and plenty.

"Yuck," My nose scrunched up.

"Don't like licorice, psycho?" Christian smirked.

I shook my head.

"Well, you should," He slid one into his mouth. "I like my licorice bitter and black—just like your heart."

I flipped him off.

"May I have everyone's undivided attention, please?" That authoritative voice rang loud and clear throughout the cafeteria. Everyone quieted down and turned to face Dimitri, he stood at the front by the movie screen.

"As you all know, this is the annual monthly _Rockin' the Silent Era _movie night."

I snorted. "What a stupid name."

Dimitri shot me a look.

"Whoops," I covered my mouth. "I apologize for interrupting you, General Belikov."

"Anyways…" his face was annoyed, but his eyes glinted with laughter. He turned his attention back to the students. "Tonight we will be watching a movie made in the late nineteen-twenties called _The General_," he paused to grin. I rolled my eyes.

"I know this night is meant to unify St. Augustine's cadets and staff, to make them feel as one, like a family. But please, keep it down. That means no talking, using the house phones, and please, if you get up, do it quietly. We are trying to make this night as pleasant for you as possible. So without further ado, here is the movie. Enjoy."

Dimitri pressed a button and the black and white flick snapped on.

"Oh, and one more thing," he jabbed a warning finger to the students. "If I catch any female and male cadets interacting in inapt ways—hugging, touching, kissing—then I will punish you. And it will hurt. _Allot_."

A part of me wanted to believe he was kidding, but I just couldn't tell. He probably was serious.

Without another glance, Dimitri walked over and sat down on the couch positioned in the far back corner. Of course he'd want to keep an eye on everyone to make sure no monkey business was going down. God, this man never relaxed.

**=X=**

About halfway through the painfully boring movie, my backside started to fall asleep. And to make matters worse, Lissa and Christian—who were sitting on the floor beside me—couldn't seem to stop sucking faces.

The smacking and moaning noises were really starting to bug the fuck out of me.

I jabbed Christian in the ribs. He turned to face me, looking a little annoyed that I had interrupted. Good.

"What do you want?"

"For you to stop shoving your tongue down my best friends throat!" I whispered, careful not to disturb nearby cadets.

"Not gonna happen," he smirked before turning his attention back to his girlfriend.

"Lissa!" I hissed.

"What?" she pulled away and smiled goofily at me, apparently dazed from Christian's kisses.

"Stop kissing him and watch the movie," I ordered.

"What?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed tiredly. "Dimitri said no female/ male interactions. You're going to get in trouble!"

"Oh, believe me." Christian murmured. "If we were going to get in trouble, we already would have. Belikov can't say shit about us because Lissa works here." he grinned widely. "Although, I have caught his eye a few times…and he looks pissed. I don't think he's happy about not being in control."

Lissa glanced back at the couch. "Is that him? In the shadows?"

"Yep." Christian confirmed.

"He's staring right at us!"

"Don't worry, babe," he nibbled on her neck. "We just bruised his ego a little bit. He'll get over it."

"But, but…" Lissa bit her bottom lip. "That's mean. We should go apologize."

"Shh," he placed a finger to her lips. "Do you know what I love about you?"

"What?" An angelic smile lit her face. Yep. She'd forgotten all about Dimitri. I guess Christian had charm. He obviously had power over her.

"How caring and sweet you are," Christian traced a finger along her jaw.

Lissa closed her eyes in indulgence. "Tell me something else you love about me."

"Does it have to be one?" He stared at her intently, those ice-blue eyes focused on her innocent face, as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him.

I wish someone would look at me like that. Love me the way Christian loved Lissa. I wish I had a boyfriend who was my best friend. Who would tell me all the things he liked about me. Tell me how much he loved me. Someone who would call out my name, hold my hand, and kiss me in public without being ashamed of it.

The heated feeling that rose in my stomach was jealousy, and I immediately scolded myself for it. My best friend had every right in the world to be happy.

"No," she giggled and shook her head. "Just tell me anything you love about me. First thing that pops into your head."

I watched the interaction between the two with a smile on my face.

"Hmm, okay. First thing that pops into my brain," he traced her chin with his finger tips. "I love your naturally pink cupid's bow lips. They're so soft and sweet. I love to run my fingers through your silky hair and soothe you to sleep. I love when you're wrapped safely in my arms. I love your silly jokes. I love to make you smile and laugh."

I started sweating. The air suddenly got thicker and harder to breather. I felt like I was witnessing something I shouldn't be. Their conversation was too intimate for my liking.

Christian continued on. "I love the scent of your raspberry perfume. The color of your nails. And your perfect little toes," He slipped off her flip flop and tickled her feet. He smiled when she began to giggle.

"More," Lissa beamed at him. "Tell me more."

"I love it when you tell me how much you love me. I love the way you look at me when we're making love. And the way you call out my name—"

"Okay, that's enough." I abruptly stood up and stomped off.

I don't even think they noticed me leaving because they were so wrapped up in their own little perfect world.

I walked outside to get some fresh air and cool my body down. I was sucking down my inhaler when Dimitri opened the doors and walked over to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I placed my inhaler back into my pocket. "I'm fine, just getting some fresh air."

Dimitri nodded and stared up at the sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I craned my neck to look up. "Yeah, really beautiful."

It was beautiful. The bright stars were scattered across the deep blue sky, as if God had taken a bucket of diamonds and sprinkled them over the universe.

For a few minutes, we stood there in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each others presence. I felt his hand brush my arm. "Come on, let's get inside. You must be freezing."

I shrugged. "Not really. I've always enjoyed the cold."

"I'd give you my coat if I had it." Dimitri said.

I chuckled.

"What?"

I tilted my head to gaze at him. He smiled at me. "Why are you in such a hurry to get inside? Can't handle the cold, Comrade?" I grinned audaciously.

"I can handle _many _things, Roza." His smile turned into a suggestive smirk. "Cold being one of them. I am from Siberia, remember?"

"Oh, that's right." I laughed. "The Arctic wasteland. How could I forget?"

Dimitri shot me a playful glare.

"Do you visit your family often?"

He cast me a wistful glance. "Several times a year."

"How do you get there?" I asked. "Do you ride in on a heard of reindeer? Hitch a ride from an Eskimo?"

This got a disdain eye roll. "I fly. On an airplane. Sometimes I take the train. What century are you living in, Roza?"

I loved when he called me 'Roza'. It meant he was feeling affectionate towards me.

"Obviously not in the same one you are."

He held out his hand to me. "Let's go inside. The movie will be over shortly."

I was tempted to take those long, graceful fingers into my hand and feel the warmth of his scratchy palms. But I didn't. Using every ounce of self control I could muster, I glued my hand to my side. "What if I don't want to go in?"

Dimitri smiled dangerously before reaching into his pocket and flashing me the black radio. "I could always make you."

"Oh, God no!" My eyes widened. "Please, I'd like to keep my door, and my mirror, a-an…and what ever else you could possibly take. Just put the radio down and I'll go with you willingly."

He chuckled before slipping the black device away.

We walked back into the mess hall silently.

Dimitri led me to the back of the room, where the couch he'd been sitting on earlier was. He gracefully sat down and crossed his legs in one flowing motion.

"It's _so _dark back here," I noticed. "I can barely see. I'm afraid I'm going to slip and fall on my ass."

"Please, do so," he whispered. "It would highly amuse me."

"Just so you know," I said. "I'm flipping you off right now."

"I know. I can see everything you are doing perfectly clear."

"Creepy," I said. "How about this? Can you see this?"

I dry humped the air.

"Rose!" he hissed. "Do not make such vulgar gestures."

I grinned before sauntering off to the snack table.

**=X=**

I plopped down on the soccer ball bean bag beside Dimitri's legs. "Wow, comfy. This certainly beats sitting on the cold and hard tile floor."

He didn't speak for five minutes, and I thought that he might have not heard me. Finally, he spoke in a voice that was barely a whisper.

"Come up here."

My head whipped around. "What?"

"Come up here," he patted the spot beside him. "This couch is far more comfortable than that bag of beans."

I laughed before sitting next to him. In that moment, I believed love seats were the greatest invention known to mankind.

Our legs touched, our arms brushed. And when I was hit with the crisp scent of his aftershave, I was sent to heaven and I never wanted to come back down.

Clearing my throat and banishing all of the dirty thoughts from my brain, I offered him the bucket. "Popcorn, Comrade?"

"No, thanks," Dimitri said, concentrating on the movie scene.

I grabbed three pieces and shoved them into his mouth, shivering when his hot and wet tongue met my fingertips.

"Rose," he grunted in surprise. "What the hell did you just do that for?"

I shrugged and tried to hide my smile. "Didn't want you to miss out on this amazingly delicious popcorn. Ethan makes it good, doesn't he? It's salty and buttery, but not too buttery. I hate that."

Dimitri went deadly silent for a few moments. "I suppose it isn't too bad…"

"See? I told you!" I whispered. "Would you like some more?"

Instead of politely asking for the popcorn, he snatched it out of my grasp and popped a few into his mouth. I saw the white glow of Dimitri's smile.

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "You're welcome."

Once half the bucket was eaten, I yawned and lay back on the couch.

"Are you tired?" Dimitri whispered.

I nodded. "A lil'"

I let out a shocked gasp as I felt his arm slip behind me and pull me closer to him.

I stared up at his masculine face. "But, but…but…"

"Shh, just relax and enjoy the movie." Dimitri smiled smally.

"But what if someone catches us?" I asked.

"They won't," he assured. "It's too dark. Now, watch the movie."

After a few more stunned minutes, I snuggled up to his body. My legs tangled their way into his while Dimitri stroked my hair soothingly. I closed my eyes and let the smell and warmth of his body take me into a world of complete tranquility. I felt so safe in his arms, like I was at home. A home in which I belonged.

"Thank you." he whispered.

I wanted to ask him 'For what?'…but this moment was too perfect and I didn't want to ruin it by talking.

I started munching on popcorn again, and when a piece fell from my hand and dropped down my tank top; I laughed and went to retrieve it. But something stopped me.

I felt his warm hands cover mine; he took them and gently placed them into my lap. "Allow me."

I didn't see it. But I felt it.

Dimitri's fingers brushed along my collar bone, down the line of my cleavage, and into my tank top. My breathing hitched.

His dark and fiery gaze practically glowed in the dark. Without breaking eye contact, he placed _the _piece of popcorn into his mouth and chewed.

The lights suddenly flickered on, signaling the end of the movie. I jumped.

Dimitri hastily stood up. "I-I…I'll see you at practice tonight, right?"

"Right," I gulped and nodded my head like an idiot. "Practice tonight. I'll see you then."

He gave a sharp nod and walked off.

**=X=**

At dinner time, I was still reeling from the memories of the movie when Adrian strolled up to me. I took one look at him and immediately became concerned. He looked tired, really tired. There were black circles under his eyes, his eyes were blood shot, his bronze hair a tangled mess, and his clothes were all wrinkled.

Though I will admit, I liked his t-shirt.

It read:

_It's an unfair life, _

_So many girls, _

_So little time. _

"I need to talk to you about something." He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I think there's something you should know. Meet me at my room."

And then as mysteriously as he appeared, he was gone.

I tried not to get overly worried, but my stomach twisted in fear. I glanced at Lissa who was giving me a peculiar look.

"What was all that about?" she asked curiously.

I shook my head and stood up. "Nothing, nothing," I gathered up my tray. "He just wants to talk about something."

"About what?" Mason asked. I heard the tinge of jealously in his tone and I didn't like it one bit.

"I don't know," I snapped. "But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. It's none of your business."

I immediately regretted my words when I saw the hurt expression flash across his freckled face.

"I gotta go," I said hastily. "I'll talk to you guys later."

Without another look back, I dumped my tray and ran out of the cafeteria.

**APOV:**

_Two nights ago…_

I struck the match and pressed it to the tip of my clove, igniting it into a small cherry-red nub. I inhaled the familiar and comforting bitter and rich flavor into my mouth, allowing the nicotine that I craved for to seep down into my lungs and relax my body.

It was later in the evening, so most of my friends were locked away in their dorms, playing video games or working their used and abused left hands until they developed carpel tunnel syndrome. Good. I didn't need to be bothered right now. What I needed was to be alone with my Russian Vodka and a pack of Cloves.

Thanksgiving dinner with my parents had been brutal. I'd all but been interrogated by them. It consisted of nonstop questions about my future: What I planned to do in the next ten years. How I was going to take over the family business. When I was going to settle down with Sydney. How many kids I wanted to have.

It fucking fried my brain. I took five shots and tipped off the glass of red wine before heading out into the cool, windy November air.

A walk. Yeah, a walk was just what I needed to clear my head.

I tugged my gray coat tighter to my chest, shoved my hands into my pockets, and took my usual serene trail in the woods. I paid special attention to the dark dirt, twigs snapping under my shoes, and the crisp aroma of the pine trees.

As I walked, I thought of Sydney—the one girl that owned my heart and always will.

I pulled at a picture of her from my wallet. I smiled as I gazed at her smiling face. I still remember running my fingers through her blonde hair and staring into those hypnotizing copper-brown eyes.

"I can't wait until I see you again, baby." I kissed the photo and placed it back into my wallet.

Sydney was the only person who motivated me to do good, to push myself to try harder, to stay away from drugs and alcohol. Life without her had been utter crap and I couldn't wait until gradation. I already had it all planned out. Move to Greek, study architecture with my girlfriend, and spend the rest of my life with her. Simple as that.

Anyone who disagreed could fuck off. Love conquered all. I didn't give a damn what they thought.

The only reason I wasn't with Sydney right now was because I wanted to graduate and be a better man for her. I wanted her to be proud of me.

Figuring I was getting too wrapped up in memories, I shook my head and took a long drag of my cigarette. I attempted to form a heart of smoke but when that failed, I opted for a dozen small circles.

The alcohol must have kicked in because I found myself stumbling and chuckling for no apparent reason. I heard the roar of an engine coming from behind me, headlights illuminated the forest trees, temporarily blinding me.

The SUV slowed down as it pulled into the parking lot of the staff apartment complex. I watched as the car died down and the lady in the passenger stepped out. She was petite, with a skimpy little tight dress, and long black locks. Ugh—completely not my type. I liked a girl with some curves and a little bit of weight on her. I didn't want to be in fear of breaking her every time I touched her.

"Holy shit," I laughed in bewilderment "It's Tasha."

I ducked behind a tree for cover—God knows why—and waited for the driver to get out. Sure enough, it was the cradle robber.

Dimitri looked around briefly, like he was paranoid and suspicious, before grabbing Tasha's hand and leading her towards his apartment.

I followed at a safe distance, more curious than anything else. When Dimitri got to the door, he picked Tasha into his arms and started hungrily kissing at her neck. She closed her eyes, curled her fingers into his hair, and pulled him closer. Soft moaning noised sounded throughout the night air.

Anger spiked within me. How could he? Didn't that fucker have it bad for Rose?

Maybe not bad enough.

Or maybe too bad.

Once he disappeared inside his apartment, I pursued his trail.

At his bedroom window, I found the smallest crack in the drapes, allowing me a full view of the bed. When I got there, I peeked in the crack and found they were already naked. Apparently, Dimitri didn't waste any time.

I gritted my teeth to keep from cursing. How was I going to break this to Rose?

How do you tell a friend who is deeply in love with a guy that that guy is fucking around with another chick?

I guess I was going to find out tomorrow.

I stayed around a bit longer, just to see if he _really _was going to do the deed. What he did next confirmed my suspicions.

He pulled out a condom wrapper and ripped it open. Although my insides were boiling with anger, I admired the fact that he used protection—lord knows how many times I had forgot, resulting in Sydney having a few pregnancy scares.

"Fuck." I cringed and shut my eyes. I saw _it_. I officially saw the Russian in the raw. That image burned into my brain and would probably stay there..._forever._

_This is for Rose. She deserves to know the truth. _I kept reminding myself.

The things I did for my friends…

Dimitri kissed Tasha on the lips hard once, before pushing her away. She pouted; looking like she wanted more, but Dimitri pushed her down onto the bed.

I felt the sear of blood rushing to my groin area. Was I seriously becoming aroused watching a man have sex? I was one sick son of a bitch.

_Think of Sydney. Think of Sydney. _I chanted.

I may have messed around with a few girls over the years, but for the most part, I was faithful to her. Well faithful, as in having occasional casual sex without telling her about it. But what she doesn't know, won't hurt her. Sydney was well aware that she was number one in my heart.

******Start of M scene******

Dimitri licked a trail from the bottom of Tasha's breast—which were nothing to write home about—all the way up to her neck with his tongue. Tasha arched her back, slamming her bare chest against his.

Apparently satisfied with the reaction and the affect he had on her, the Russian directed her to get on all fours. Tasha seemed to be okay with having him in control, because she happily complied with his orders.

I lit another cigarette. Goddamn, a tiny part of me was enjoying watching this. I was completely disturbed.

The initial thrust Dimitri gave made Tasha cry out in pleasure. He didn't waste anytime in being gentle with her, he went straight to work. Driving in and out of her with a rough pace, his gaze—hungry, needy, desperate—was on the union of their bodies.

I had to admit, I was envious—and a bit insecure—at the way Dimitri moved his body. His movements were graceful and skilled. He knew what he was doing.

Sex was my game; it was what I was born to do. But seeing Dimitri right now, in all his fierce action, I'd say that he might give me a run for my money.

Constant moans and screams erupted from Tasha's mouth, she looked like she was having a difficult time holding herself upright from Dimitri's powerful thrusts. Her small breasts jiggled and she had a fulfilled smile on her face.

Sometime later, the Russian started talking dirty to her. Having reached her peak, Tasha screamed out his name in ecstasy—so loudly that I cringed—and fell forward panting. Dimitri let out a growl of pleasure and cursed in Russian. When he pulled out and dropped to his side on the bed, I knew I had to get away from his window. I had all the information and evidence I needed.

I booked it back to my apartment.

******End of M scene******

I paced back and forth in my room for hours, nervously biting my nails and contemplating if I should tell Rose or not. Telling her was the last thing I wanted to do, I absolutely hated seeing her in pain, but she deserved the truth. And the truth she would get, I just had to wait for the right opportunity to tell her.

I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. "How am I going to do this?"

**=X=**

**RPOV: **

_In the present…_

I arrived at the college campus and pounded my fists against Adrian's door.

He opened it immediately, as if he'd been waiting for me. "Hey, Little Cadet. Nice of you to come by and see me."

"Cut the crap, Adrian," I shoved passed him. "Tell me why you wanted me to come here."

"Shall I make tea first?" He started walking to the kitchen but I stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Spit it out already," I said. "You're making me worry."

I took a step back and crossed my arms. Adrian shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans. Oh boy, Adrian Ivashkov was nervous. My stomach dropped with dread. I knew I wasn't going to like whatever he had to say.

"First of all, I want to say that you look absolutely stunning," he said. "You're really fitting into St. Augustine's uniform quite well. No other female cadet would have been able to pull it off with as much class and grace as you have. Hell, even I don't look as good in my uniform as you do—"

"Tell me why you wanted me here!" I screamed. "No more rambling."

"Tasha fucked Dimtri."

The feeling that came over me was horrible. It was a wave of horror that made me so nauseous that I had to fight the urge to throw up. In that moment, it felt like the end of the world. Dooms day.

"What?"

"Dimitri and Tasha had sex."

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**As always, I'd love to hear what you think!**

**-Breanna**


	15. Chapter 15: Betrayal

**A/N:** Yaaaay for fast updates!

All of you are fantastic, I am blown away with the response I got for last chapter :) Thank you!

Dimitri. and. Roza. 4E, you're amazing. You edited this chapter with Strigoi speed. You're my Beta Queen! Thank you so much.

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy. I just own this military academy plot :)**

* * *

**Chapter rated M for strong language and explicit scenes.**

**DPOV:  
**

I was thirty minutes early for practice. I couldn't deny it anymore…I was so excited to see _her_. I paused before walking through the doors, hating the spike of nervousness that shot throughout my body. What did I have to be anxious about?

Roza.

God, I was in love with that woman. I lost all control when I was around her. But it was so worth losing my moral sense of right and wrong.

I checked the two cups of hot cocoa in my hand. Lids were in place, so no spills. And Roza's was overloaded with mini marshmallows. I chuckled, recalling the discussion we'd had the first time I'd brought her hot chocolate.

"_Disgusting," Rose's nose scrunched up. She brought the tip of the paper cup to her lips, blew on the steam, and took a small sip. "This is awful. Absolutely awful."_

_I disdainfully rolled my eyes and took a swig of my own hot chocolate. "It's early, Rose. Don't start."_

"_How does that not burn your mouth?" She motioned towards the cup nuzzled between my palms. "My tongue is scorching. It feels like a thousand tiny ice skaters are sliding across my tongue with little fiery skates."_

_I chuckled. "You have to be the strangest person I've ever met."_

_A happy smile twisted her mouth, as if she was touched. "Thanks. Now, answer my question."_

"_What question?"_

"_How does that hot cocoa not burn your mouth?"_

"_It does, a little. But, unlike you, I don't run my mouth and bitch about it." I smiled dryly._

_Rose glared and flipped me off._

"_You know, in some countries, they'll cut your finger off if you do that." I crushed the empty cup and tossed it in the trash can. _

"_From that pissed off look on your face, I'd say you're thinking about pulling out a Swiss army knife and chopping my middle finger off."_

"_I'm tempted." I said. "By the way, I wouldn't use a Swiss army knife. A hunting knife would do the job just fine. It'd be a lot less…messy." _

_Her large eyes got bigger._

"_Go do your laps." I instructed._

"_Fine," Rose set the paper cup, which was still full, on the ground. "Next time," she pointed to it, "I want two packets of cocoa and tons of mini marshmallows—or else I won't drink it."_

Bringing her hot cocoa everyday wasn't much. But it was my small way of showing her that I cared for her.

I opened the doors and frowned. Roza wasn't there. But Tasha was.

"Hey, baby. I missed you. How was your day?" She walked up to give me a kiss.

I cleared my throat harshly and took a step back before her mouth made contact with mine.

"We need to talk,"

Her forehead creased in confusion. "Okay. Whatcha' want to talk about?"

I ran a hand threw my hair and blew out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

I needed to hurry this talk up. Roza was coming soon. I didn't want her walking in and assuming something was going on between Tasha and me. I hated lying to Roza, but this situation called for it. Truth was: Tasha and I _did_ have a tiny thing.

How was I supposed to break that to Rose though?

I have deep feelings for you, but I used another woman for sex. Oh, and one more thing…the reason I had sex with her is because I'm trying to keep myself and body away from you.

I don't think so.

Besides, Rose was already extremely jealous of Tasha. There was no need to put more gasoline on that roaring fire.

"I'm sorry for what happened between us the other night."

"Don't be," she smiled. "It was all I could ever want. It was wonderful. It was…"

"Never supposed to happen." I finished her sentence.

Tasha's jaw clenched, her ice-blue eyes became hard. "Never supposed to happen?" she laughed bitterly. "Care to elaborate, Dimitri?"

I sighed and massaged my temples. "It's just…I, uh..."

"Stop mumbling and spit it out already," she snapped. "I am a grown woman. I can handle rejection."

"I don't feel the same way you feel about me," I said. "What happened between us the other night should have never happened. It was a mistake. And I'm sorry that I led you to believe there was something more between us."

Tasha's eyes glossed over, her chin trembled. My chest constricted. I hated seeing her hurt, especially if I was the one to hurt her. But she needed to know the truth.

"Listen, Tash, I care about you…I really do," I gently rubbed a stray tear off her cheek. "But the only thing I feel for you is friendship. Nothing else. I'm sorry."

"Do you fuck all of your friends? Huh?" Tasha mocked. I flinched. "Give it to them good and hard like you gave it to me the other night? You seemed to have enjoyed yourself immensely….And I'm pretty sure our "friendship" was the last thing on your mind."

"That was different." I said menacingly. I was done being careful and nice with her.

"How so?" she demanded.

"I only used you for sex. That's it." I said. "I needed physical relieving…and you were all too willing to relieve my needs."

Anguish contorted her features and I immediately wished I could take back my hurtful words.

Tasha pulled her hand back and hit me hard across the cheek. My skin stung from where her palm had made contact.

I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my anger under control.

When her fist clenched and she swung for my face, I grabbed her wrist and held it.

"Ouch, Dimitri, you're hurting me." Tasha pulled on her arm. "Please let go."

I dropped her arm. "Get the fuck out of here. I don't want to see you ever again."

"Fine!" she stomped to the door. "I don't ever want to talk to you again."

"Fine by me," I casually took a sip of my hot cocoa. "And I don't want to hear of you calling my mother again. Do you understand? If I do, I will find you, and I will make sure that you'll never want to speak to her again."

"I hate you." Those words were spoken with such venom and hatred that it took my breath away. "I hope I get kidnapped and killed by that maniac. That will make your life a lot easier for you, wouldn't it? Don't worry, Dimka. I am no longer a problem of yours."

The doors swayed shut behind her.

I scoffed remembering her calling herself a "grown woman." Rose acted more mature than Tasha does sometimes.

"What have I just done?" I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes.

I'd known Tasha my whole life. We'd been great friends up until four years ago when I decided to give our romantic relationship a chance. Things had gone smoothly at first, but after a year into the relationship, is when things started taking a turn for the worse.

My feelings for her hadn't gotten any stronger or more intense over time. It still felt like she was just a friend. And at times, it was awkward for me when we were sexually involved. I could tell she was deeply in love with me, and with her constant "I love you's" and me never returning those three words because I knew I didn't mean them, I knew I had let our relationship go too far.

The day I told her it was over; was the day Tasha told me that I couldn't leave her because we had conceived. I was hesitant to believe her at first, considering we always used protection, but after some more convincing, I bought her story. I became a great partner to Tasha. I proposed to her, bought us a home, insisted that she stopped working, and provided for my family.

But then I started to notice a pattern. She wasn't gaining any weight. Her stomach wasn't growing. She never allowed me to go with her to the doctor's appointments. Looking back now, I realize how stupid I'd been to believe anything that came out of her mouth.

Whether it was a boy or a girl, we were going to name our baby Emerson. Tasha loved that name, and I was all too eager to please my fiancé back then. The name Emerson now brought a bitter taste to my mouth.

It was all a lie. Everything we had was a lie.

I shook my head to clear all the bad memories and took a deep breath.

I was deeply upset that I had hurt Tasha so badly tonight. I knew I had broken her heart. But I told her the truth. And there was no taking my words back now. I was relieved. I'd set my ex fiancé straight. I'd done everything that needed to be done. Now it was time for practice with Roza.

I glanced at my watch and realized she was fifteen minutes late for practice.

I growled and paced back and forth, waiting for her to show up. I finished off my hot cocoa, did my warm-up stretches, and set up the sparring mats before checking my watch again.

Rose was thirty minutes late. Something was wrong. I slammed the gym doors open and went searching for her.

**RPOV:**

When Adrian told me that Dimitri had sex with Tasha, I didn't believe him.

Right before my daring escape, I had accused Dimitri of having hardcore sex with Tasha right after I'd caught him in his destroyed apartment with her. But Dimitri had explained to me a few days ago, at practice, that they just had a pretty nasty argument. He claimed there was nothing going on between him and Tasha.

Right now…I didn't know who to believe.

My gut was telling me to hear Adrian out, so I did.

"How would you know? Did Dimitri tell you they did _it_?" The painful lump in my throat formed. I bit my lip to stop my chin from trembling.

"No," Adrian said gravely. "But while I was out and about, smoking my cigarettes, I saw Tasha sneaking out of Dimitri's apartment early yesterday morning. She looked pretty darn smug, too."

"Maybe they were just having a talk." I said. "I really don't think Tasha and him are a couple. Dimitri would have told me."

"You're in serious denial, Little Cadet," Adrian sat down on his leather couch, I joined him. "Oh, and I don't think him and Tasha were just "having a talk". That girl looked too damn happy. Her hair was a mess, clothes wrinkled, makeup smudged. Tasha just looked plain…_dirty_. She had definitely had some serious naughty time with someone in his apartment."

"Her hair was messy?" My throat constricted.

"Yep."

"No," I shook my head and roughly wiped a tear away. "Dimitri wouldn't do that. He's not like that."

"Aw, Little Cadet. Your view of the cradle robber is demented," he paused and ran a hand through his hair. "He's not the perfect man you have painted in your head. You practically worship him, so you are unable to see his faults. He makes mistakes. He's human. You just need to see past that fascination you have for him"

"You make me sound obsessed," I sniffled.

"Ah, but you are," he lit a cigarette and offered me one.

"No, thanks," I grabbed a tissue and dabbed my eyes.

"You are obsessed with Dimitri in the same way I am obsessed with Angelina Jolie," He paused, then added, "or myself."

I laughed, despite the fact that I was bawling my eyes out. It kind of hurt my throat.

"Why did you tell me this?" I asked.

He shrugged and took a drag. "Because I care about you."

"If you care about me, then you wouldn't have told me all this."

"I…What?"

"Because, by telling me this, you knew it would hurt me." I laid my head on his shoulder. "I wish you wouldn't have told me. My heart can't take any more pain."

"Would you rather me have _not_ told you?" he countered. "Then when you did find out, you'd feel betrayed and hurt by me. I couldn't have that."

"How do you know that I would have found out?" I asked. "If you hadn't told me about Dimitri and Tasha, then I would have been left in the dark. Ignorance is bliss."

"You would have found out eventually," Adrian said. "Believe me, the truth always comes out—whether you want it to or not."

"I want to bite Dimitri's head off right now!" I growled.

It always went this way with me when I dealt with situations I couldn't handle. First came sadness, then anger, then sadness again.

I was currently in stage two.

Adrian smirked. "Which head?"

"Both!"

"Ouch," he grabbed his crotch area protectively.

"How could he do this to me?" I sighed tiredly. "And Tasha of all people? That bitch is crazy. I've read her files."

"She's hot," Adrian shrugged. "That's probably all he was thinking about when they…you know. We men are visual creatures."

"Men are pigs."

"Say what you must," he pulled me closer into his chest. I inhaled the familiar scent of cloves and musky cologne as I gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly. "But I would never deceive you in the way Dimitri did. If you were my girl, I'd shower you with love and loyalty. On our first date, I'd take you to the moon, and let you have the world."

I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm. "You're so corny."

"It's the truth," I heard the smile in his voice. "And yes, I am corny. But you love me just the way I am."

"Yes, I do." I tilted my head ever so slightly to gaze at his emerald green eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?"

"For being honest with me," I said. "For always being there for me."

Without breaking eye contact, I tentatively leaned my face towards his. When I was just a centimeter away, I paused, letting his warm breath tickle my mouth and nose. Adrian closed the distance that separated us and pressed his lips to mine. I needed this, a kiss from someone who I knew wouldn't pull away the next minute and tell me it was wrong.

We broke apart, gasping for air.

"You know, if you want to get back at Dimitri...I'm an expert at revenge." Adrian smiled dazedly.

I kissed him again, more aggressively. I pulled off my shirt.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled, his eyes were wide and trained on my naked chest. Whoops, I'd forgotten to wear a bra today. Good.

"Getting revenge." I unbuttoned his jeans.

"Whoa, Little cadet. Slow down," Adrian held my hands. "Don't start something you can't finish."

"Believe me, I want to finish this." I ground my hips against his in invitation. "I'm going to finish this."

He groaned and pulled me towards him. "Are you sure? I don't want to take advantage of you."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you do!" I paused. "But I want to you make me forget all of this pain. I want to feel numb. Make love to me, Adrian. I know you want to. Make me feel something besides betrayal."

He didn't need any more encouragement. Before I knew it, all of our clothes were thrown all over the room.

"God, you're so fucking sexy," Adrian gazed at me appreciatively. "I love revenge."

I grinned. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

"Maybe for Dimitri," he leaned over to the table besides the couch and pulled out a condom. "But for me, it's wonderful. I get you."

I straddled his waist and grabbed the condom out of his hands. "Let me do it."

I ripped at the wrapper with my teeth.

"That's so sexy," Adrian licked his lips. "Yeah, get it! Bite it with those tiger teeth!"

I laughed and tossed the wrapper to the ground.

I was leaning down to put the condom on Adrian when I heard it. A huge bang, followed by a gush of wind that blew my hair around.

"Oh, bloody hell." Adrian mumbled, face deathly white.

I turned around to see what had made Adrian so terrified.

My heart stopped.

Someone had barged down the door.

That someone was Dimitri.

He stood there in all his six-foot-seven glory, arms crossed, staring straight at me with those cold and hard brown eyes. He looked deathly and lethal, like an avenging God.

That's when I remembered that I was on a couch, naked, and straddling another man. How the hell did he find me? More importantly, how was I going to get out of this?

If I didn't die of embarrassment, then Dimitri sure as hell was going to kill me. Probably with that hunting knife of his.

I scrambled off Adrian, grabbed a nearby blanket, and clutched it to my exposed body, trying to cover as much skin as I possibly could.

"How did you find me?"

"You're late for evening practice." He growled. "I now see what was keeping you preoccupied."

Adrian started hurriedly dressing, falling on his ass a few times in the process.

Dimitri never even spared him a glance. His cold eyes were trained on me, practically burning holes into my face. I'd never felt so uncomfortable in my life before. I felt more heat rising to my cheeks.

"I'll leave you two to sort this out amongst yourselves…just try not to break anything." Cautiously, and probably afraid my mentor would start pounding on him at any given moment, Adrian walked passed Dimitri and out the door.

Right before he shut the door, Adrian shot me an apologetic glance, blew me a kiss, and gave me a thumbs up.

"Traitor." I muttered.

I glanced at Dimitri, who was still in that same statue-like stance he was in earlier. He hadn't moved and inch since he'd practically knocked down the door.

His face was hard, jaw clenched, hands balled into fists. Yeah, he looked like he wanted to rip my head off.

"Seeing you with him," Dimitri sneered. "It makes me want to stab something."

I gulped.

"Get dressed, now!"

I did.

It was humiliating. Dimitri watched me the entire time, disgust contorting his face.

"Stop looking at me like that!" I pulled on my shirt and smoothed down my hair. "We didn't do anything, got it?"

"You didn't do anything?_ You didn't do anything?_" He threw his head back and laughed harshly, the sound slithered across my skin like snakes. "You were naked with a man, placing a condom on him. How can you possibly say that?"

"If it makes you feel any better," I shrugged. "The penis didn't actually penetrate the vagin—"

In a flash, he stood right in front of me. He gripped my biceps tightly. I gasped in pain.

"Stop talking, before I hurt you."

My fear turned to anger. I kept picturing him naked with Tasha.

"Don't touch me," Venom dripped from my words. I ripped my arm away from him. "I don't want your hands anywhere near me. I don't know what kind of STD's you carry."

Fury flashed across his dark eyes. I knew I'd just crossed the line.

"I use protection, Rose," He hissed. "I can guarantee you I am cleaner than a whistle—which is more than I can say for you."

I gaped. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Dimitri's eyes traveled up and down my body painfully slow, he made no effort to hide the disgusted expression from his face. "I think you know what it means."

"Are you implying that I'm a whore?"

"What you just did right now," He pointed to the couch, then to me. "You don't need my implication. The proof is right here."

I pulled my hand back and slapped him hard across the face. I went for a second blow, but Dimitri intercepted it by seizing my arm. His face was like the devil. I'd never seen someone so still before…so angry.

"I'm going to tell the principal that you called one of your students a whore," I said. "I'll also tell them that you made certain _advances_ towards me. How would you like to lose that General title, Comrade? Don't worry, if you're lucky, they might let you be the janitor."

A smile twisted his lips. It wasn't a happy one. It was predatory smile. It reminded me of one a serial killer gave to their victims right before they sliced them up into tiny pieces.

"Don't threaten me, Ms. Hathaway. I control this school. Who do you think they'll believe? A respected General and former lieutenant who graduated at the top of his class and holds the respect of all his former colleagues and guards? Or a seventeen year old, trouble-making, rule breaking, student?"

"Whatever, I've heard enough, just, just…" I pulled at my hair. "Just get out of here. Go back to your whore!"

_Immature?_ Check. _Satisfied with my comeback?_ Eh, not so much. I could have been a little more original. But the words had already come out. No turning back now.

"My whore?"

"Tasha!" I screamed. "And don't look so surprised...Adrian caught you two together. So don't even try to deny it."

I shoved passed him and walked out the door. Once I got outside and into the freezing winter air, I headed in the opposite direction. I had no clue where I where I was going, I just knew that I had to get away from _him_.

Dimitri's footsteps sounded behind me, his leather boots pounding aggressively against the concrete ground. Yeah, he was still angry.

"Stay away from me!" I screamed.

"No."

"Why are you chasing me?" I asked, feeling defeated. "Just leave me alone! That's all I want."

"I have to explain myself."

I swiveled around and slammed right into his steel chest. I steadied myself before pointing my finger in his face. "I've already let you explain yourself, remember? I'm done hearing your bullshit. I trusted you, damn it. And you threw it away like it meant nothing you."

"It means everything to me, Roza," his voice was raw with emotion. "I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am— "

I waved my hand in the air. "Save it for someone who cares."

Dimitri reached down and crushed his lips to mine. Even though all I wanted to do was melt in his arms and have him kiss me until I couldn't breathe, there was no way I was going to show him the affect he had on me. Instead, I pulled away and made a sound of disgust. "God, don't ever do that again. I have no clue where your mouth has been," I spit on the ground and made a dramatic show of wiping my mouth. "Wait, on second thought—I think I do. All over Tasha's body," I shuddered, "Hold for a minute while I go throw up."

"Rose, stop acting so immature!" He grabbed my arm.

No, no way in hell. I wanted to make him feel so disgusting and cheap about himself…just like the way he made me feel every time he pushed me away.

"It was a mistake, Rose." He pleaded. "I'm a normal human being who makes mistakes."

I shook my head, gathered all of my self control, and turned my back on him. My voice was a weak and defeated whisper, "I'm done, Dimitri. I'm done waiting on something that's never going to happen. You had your chance, and now it's gone. I'm sick of you playing with me."

I forced my feet to move, one in front of the other.

Dimitri didn't make any effort to pursue me. Maybe it was a good thing that I gave him up. He obviously didn't love me the same way I loved him. If he did, I'd have been chased down and begged for. He would've told me how much he loved me and how he never wanted to be with anyone else. But he didn't.

I looked over my shoulder and gave him one last weak glance. He just stood there. Face crumpled in anguish. A single tear slipped out of his eye, he quickly wiped it away, as if embarrassed.

What happened to fighting for the ones you love?

He hissed a Russian curse. "I don't know why I can't stop caring about you, Rose."

My feet slowed down, my brain involuntarily wanting to hear what else he had to say.

"Tasha is the only girl I've ever slept with," he whispered. "If I could take back time, and have you be the only girl...then I would."

I let out a small sob and hugged my chest, trying to keep myself from shattering into a million pieces. Why was he torturing me like this? It would only make my decision harder to go through with.

"I cannot be around you, Roza. I lose all control when I'm with you," His voice was strained. "I want you. I've always wanted you. Only _you._"

I stopped dead in my tracks. There it was.

"I'm so in love with you and I'm not ashamed about it." Dimitri sounded so broken...so vulnerable. "I don't want to be away from you anymore...I need you..."

I raced over to him and crushed my lips to his.

**=X=**

"Do you ever think about making love to me?" He asked, carrying me to his apartment.

"All the time. Every day." Being so close to him, I was able to study his features. His healing nose, sensuous lips, knife-edged cheekbones, strong jaw line, the scar above his brow, and finally...those dark, dark eyes. I sighed with contentment.

We passed Alberta on our way. Dimitri nodded in acknowledgment, not caring that we'd been caught. Ah, the advantages of being the big boy around town.

She raised an eyebrow at me, shrugged, then nodded. "Good evening, General Belikov."

And she went on her way.

"Do you ever think about making love to me?" I asked.

"I dream about it," Dimitri said. "I've spent so many nights awake thinking about you. Kissing your lips, caressing you skin, touching you..."

My body flushed with heat.

God, I wanted him so badly.

He opened the door to his apartment, locked it, and brought me to his room. I stared at the bed with disgust. "Have you changed the sheets since Tasha paid you a little visit?"

Dimitri closed his eyes, like he was in pain. "I cannot begin to describe how regretful-"

"Shhh," I placed my finger against his lips. "I just want to know if you have changed the sheets. That's all."

"I did." he assured. "And I washed the blankets, too."

Dimitri fell back on the bed and pulled me with him, so my body was crushed on top of his.

"God," he moaned. "You have no idea how good this feels."

He kissed me roughly. I slipped my hands under his shirt, feeling the mountains of heated muscle under my fingertips. "Why don't you show me how good it feels?"

"I didn't bring you here to do that," Dimitri whispered. "I want to hold you in my arms. Have you sleep by my side so I can keep you safe. I want to kiss you all night."

"I want this, Dimitri. Please...I need you," I begged shamelessly. "Forget all that Zen crap. It's just me and you tonight. Just Dimitri and Rose."

"I like the sound of that." he covered my mouth with his.

"Make love to me, Dimitri. I am yours," I whispered, touching the rough and sexy stubble on his face. "My body is yours. Take it."

His shirt came off, then mine. Then his jeans and my skirt...then everything else. Everything landed in a pile on the floor.

Dimitri went to put on a condom, but I stopped him with my hands. "Don't. That's not necessary."

I was going to use a condom with Adrian because he was sort of a..._man whore_. But with Dimitri, I didn't want to use one. I didn't want any barriers to keep us apart.

He looked puzzled. "Why not?"

"I'm on birth control,"

A furious expression crossed his face. "You have been with other men?" he growled, possession wrapped around his words. I had to admit, it was a big turn on. "Who is it? Adrian? Mason? Tell me who it is."

I laughed. "This is my first time. And it's not what you think it is...I don't use birth control for that."

"Well, what is the purpose of it then?"

I felt the heat creep up to my cheeks. "No…I, uh…I use it to regulate my periods."

"Oh," his fingertips gently traced my cheeks. "There is no reason to be embarrassed about that. I cannot tell you how relieved I am."

"Why are you relieved?" I asked. "Happy that you don't have to make any late-night runs for a box of Tampax?"

He chuckled and nibbled my ear. I closed my eyes. "No, it's not that. I am relieved because I know that you haven't been with anyone else but me. The thought of you in the arms of another man," he growled slightly, "It's too much to bear. I want to have you all to myself. I want to claim you as mine."

I arched my back towards him.

Dimitri kissed me long and hard, holding my neck to keep me in place. He tossed the unused condom on the ground. "I am so glad I don't have to use that."

"Why?" I sucked on the soft skin of his neck.

"Because I want to feel you on me…" he whispered. "All of you. Every single inch."

I moaned at his words. The heat rushed between my legs. My skin tingled and puckered.

"God, I love that sound," his hands and mouth consumed my body. "It's addictive."

"What sound?" I didn't know how I was forming full thoughts, let alone complete sentences. Dimitri's lips were sort of mind numbing.

He took the sensitive flesh of my naked breast into his mouth. I gasped with surprise, arched my back, and moaned in pleasure.

"That sound." he said. "I've never heard anything so beautiful before. I've never seen anyone so beautiful…"

And then he pushed his body into mine, making us one.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, feeling the stinging pain.

"Roza? Roza?" Dimitri's voice was frantic. "Did I hurt you? Please baby, talk to me."

When he tried to pull back, I gripped his hips and held him there. "Don't. I need this. I need you."

"I can't. Not if it's hurting you—"

"You're not hurting me," I brushed his wavy hair behind his ears. "You never could."

He kissed me. So soft, gentle, and loving that I had the absurd urge to burst out in tears.

The naughty part of me came out to play. I raked my nails down his neck and squeezed his cute ass. I got the satisfaction of hearing him groan.

He kissed me as he started moving his body with mine. Dimitri hissed something in Russian and closed his eyes. "God...how badly I've wanted to have you like this. How badly I've wanted to take you."

I'd never felt so alive before. My whole body lit in fire. The air around us was thick with our fresh sweat and heavy breathing. When Dimitri wasn't kissing me, he always kept his dark eyes on mine. They were heavy with passion and lust and something so much more…love. I felt so beautiful and desirable under his gaze.

He chanted my name over and over again. _Roza, Roza, Roza, Roza…_

I was intoxicated with desire when he started to speak to me in Russian. I had no idea what the words meant, but I loved the way he said them in that thick, velvety accent.

Afterwards, we lay in a mess of tangled, naked limbs. My legs were caught in his, my arms gripping his abdomen, my face stuffed in the crook of his neck. My tongue whipped out and gave his salty skin a quick lick.

"How are you feeling, Roza?" he stroked my hair soothingly. "Do you hurt?"

"A little," I smiled blissfully. "But most of all...I'm so tired."

"You will be," he chuckled. "It was your first time."

"Thank you," I smiled goofily.

"For what?"

"For what we just shared," I said. "It was more than I could have ever imagined."

Dimitri stroked my hair and started humming something in Russian. The sound was soothing and I immediately felt myself drifting off to sleep.

The humming turned into singing. It was beautiful and my breath caught in my throat. Dimitri, the emotionless, hard-ass General, had the voice of an angel.

**=X=**

"You're letting me off practice?" I gaped.

"Yes, after all…don't you think we've already had our workout?" He poured a cup of fresh coffee and handed it to me.

I blushed. "You know…I don't think we have. Maybe we could now though…"

"No." he said firmly, lips pursed. I laughed inwardly. He was battling off his own desires.

"But," I kissed his lips. "Don't you want to make love to me again?"

Dimitri groaned and threw his head back. "Yes, that's all I want to do. That's all I can think about. " He rubbed his eyes and kept them closed when he faced me again. "And it's not helping that you're wearing my t-shirt. But we can't. Go get some fresh clothes from your room."

I frowned, the lump in my throat formed. "You want me to leave?"

He looked alarmed. "No, of course not. I want you to go get some fresh clothes, and then come back here and take a shower."

"Me and you, naughty time in the shower?" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head and laughed. "No. But I will make you breakfast."

"Bacon and eggs?"

He nodded. "And toast."

"Okay, I'll go." I raced to the front door.

"Wait," Dimitri called out, placing his leather duster on my shoulders. "It's freezing out there, wear this."

I laughed. "This is too big. I look ridiculous."

He eyed me thoughtfully. "That's not true. You look incredibly sexy."

"I look like a giant potato."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "You look like a beautiful woman wearing a duster. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I'll wear it under one condition," I said.

He arched a dark eyebrow. "What is that condition?"

"I get to ride the cowboy when I get back." I winked.

Dimitri closed his eyes and swallowed hard. His voice was husky and thick when he spoke again, "You already rode the cowboy last night."

I grinned evilly. "I rode the cowboy good and hard, didn't I?"

He smacked me on the backside. "Get out of here, _now_." It wasn't a request, but more of a command. "Before I become extremely uncivilized and take you right here on the sidewalk."

I gulped, nodded, and took off.

**=X=**

I ripped open the door to the high-school campus building and bumped into my best friend. She was in her pale pink nurse scrubs, hair tied back, makeup perfect, lips frosted over in her favorite lip gloss.

"Morning, Rose." she smiled.

"I envy you for being so perfect and pretty in the morning."

"Oh, my god!" her mouth dropped open as she took in my assemble. "You had sex!"

I blushed furiously. "I did not!"

"You're glowing and you've got the biggest grin I've ever scene. Don't try and deny it. Who was it?" She grinned.

I smiled so widely I thought my face would split. "Dimitri!"

"I knew it!"

We jumped up and down, letting out a bunch of girlie squeals.

"Hello, Roza." I heard that low and wonderful voice behind me.

I smiled. "Just couldn't get enough of me could ya, Comrade? I said I'd be back shortly."

A small white cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth before I knew what was happening.

I breathed in the bitter aroma and gagged. The whole world went fuzzy, I swayed, and fell to the ground. I heard that accented voice again.

"Don't worry, I've got you my dear…"

"ROSE!" I think that was Lissa screaming for me. I had no clue.

"Run!" I gasped. "Run as far as you can. Don't look back!"

She didn't move.

"Oh, bloody hell..." My head slammed against the ground.

"Don't worry, I've got you my dear…"

Shit, things weren't looking too good for me.

I passed out.

* * *

**Can you guess who it is? :D**


	16. Chapter 16: Held Captive

**A/N:** I want to thank my Beta, Dimitri. and. Roza. 4E**. **Like always, you're absolutely amazing!

And of course, a big thank you to all of the people who read this story. You guys keep me writing! :-)

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

**_Previously on A Blessing in Disguise…_**

_"Hello, Roza." I heard that low and wonderful voice behind me._

_I smiled. "Just couldn't get enough of me could ya, Comrade? I said I'd be back shortly."_

_A small white cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth before I knew what was happening._

_I breathed in the bitter aroma and gagged. The whole world went fuzzy, I swayed, and fell to the ground. I heard that accented voice again._

_"Don't worry, I've got you my dear…"_

_"ROSE!" I think that was Lissa screaming for me. I had no clue._

_"Run!" I gasped. "Run as far as you can. Don't look back!"_

_She didn't move._

_"Oh, bloody hell..." My head slammed against the ground._

_Shit, things weren't looking too good for me._

_I passed out._

**LPOV:**

I stood there frozen. I felt like a statue…unable to move because I was so terrified of what was happening in front of me.

I tried to scream but the sounds just wouldn't come out.

The man, who came out of nowhere, stood above Rose's unconscious body, staring down at her with a satisfied twist of his lips. When he lifted his head to look at me, I gasped.

There was something familiar about the guy, almost like I'd seen him before. He looked to be in his early fifties, with chin length brown hair and cold black eyes that held the same predatory gleam a shark did. It didn't help to ease my fear when I took in his massive height. I estimated around six-foot-eight or six-foot nine.

Somehow, I managed to find my voice. It was high and squeaky with fear, like the sound you hear when you squeeze a yellow rubber ducky. "W-w-who are y-y-you?"

The man took a step closer and the scream finally escaped my mouth.

He licked his lips with a hungry look in those black eyes. "My favorite sound in the world. Do it again."

I instinctively started backing away.

My first thought was to run as fast as my legs would take me, to get as far away from this man as possible. But then I glanced down at Rose's limp body. There was no way I was leaving my best friend alone. Sure, we were both going to get killed. But I sure as heck was going to fight for her.

"Tell me who you are!" I growled.

That sadistic smile vanished from his rugged face. He had a strong accent. "No more screaming? No running?" he pushed out his bottom lip in mock sadness. "Too bad. That is my favorite part of the deal. Now I don't get to have any fun."

The man pulled out a white cloth and a small brown bottle.

I froze, my body becoming paralyzed with terror once again.

He poured some liquid on it. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Alexander Drozdov. My son works at this academy."

He put one hand behind my head while the other shoved the cloth so hard against my mouth it caused my teeth to puncture through my lips.

I didn't have time to feel pain.

The instant I breathed in the bitter-sweet aroma, I was out. Everything around me went black and quiet.

* * *

** DPOV:**

_My arms felt like jelly but I still managed to pull Roza on top of me. She laid her head on my heaving chest. "You up for another round, Comrade?"_

_ Although my body screamed 'Yes!' My mind was telling me to be logical and let her off easy. "That's three times tonight, Roza." My hand trailed up and down her spine, causing her skin to pucker at my touch. "I'm tired. Let us get some sleep. Your body needs to heal."_

_ She ground her hips against mine. I groaned. Roza lifted her head to gaze at my exposed flesh, she licked her lips in a hungry manner. The blood pumped hot and steady through my veins, shooting straight to the appropriate area._

_God, she was so beautiful. _

_Those dark eyes pierced mine. Her tangled, waist-length hair spilled down her back and bare chest like a cape. Her golden skin was glistening and she smelled of fresh sweat. It was intoxicating. _

_"Really? You're tired?" she asked, raking her nails across my chest. "Because your body seems to be telling me otherwise."_

_I closed my eyes when she started placing open-mouthed kisses against my stomach. "Jeeze, Dimitri. You're always ready, aren't ya? I'm going to start calling you the Energizer bunny."_

_I pulled her roughly to my mouth and kissed her hard. "I guess you just have that affect on me, Roza."_

_"You were right." Roza's eyes widened. "You do have absolutely nothing_ _to be insecure about."_

_I chuckled, satisfied and smug with her comment._

_"Well, if you're too tired then..." she sighed and shrugged. "I guess we'll just go back to sleep."_

_"Where do you think you're going? You little Vixen." I snatched Roza up and pulled her back into my lap. She giggled. "You knew what you were doing when you got me all worked up, Roza. Now you have to finish the job."_

_"Really?" she asked in disbelief._

_Instead of telling her the answer, I showed her with a steady roll of my hips._

_She closed her eyes, arched her back, and bit her lip. "Get ready for the ride of your life, Cowboy!"_

I shook my head to banish the memories of last night away. It didn't help very well. My body was still caught up in the daydream and it didn't want to be bothered.

I took a sip of the now cold coffee and glanced at my watch. Roza had been gone for two hours. Something about that seemed strange to me.

Roza was notoriously known for being late. I often teased her about her inability to be on time, telling her that she would probably be late for her own funeral.

But when I told her to go get a fresh pair of clothes from her dorm, she seemed very reluctant to leave. I figured she'd be eager to get back and be with me.

The most time she should have taken was fifteen minutes…twenty tops. My stomach twisted and knotted in unease.

Something was , very wrong. My instinctive feelings were screaming this to me. And usually, my instincts were always correct.I flung open the front door to my apartment and took off towards the high-school building.

I had to find Roza. And I needed to find her soon.

* * *

**RPOV:**

My mind slowly but surely began to slip back into reality.

I felt sluggish and dizzy. Everything was black. The smell of dust, decaying wood, and the strong dour aroma of disinfectant invaded my nostrils from all directions.

I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't move them, almost like someone was holding them down or…I had a blindfold on.

Shit.

All of the memories slammed into me like a moving train.

_A small white cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth before I knew what was happening._

_I breathed in the bitter aroma and gagged. The whole world went fuzzy; I swayed, and fell to the ground._

I wiggled my toes. Okay, that was a good sign. At least I could move. Now only if I could escape…

"Ah, the sleeping beauty awakens!" I sucked in a breath. That Russian accented voice sounded so familiar…

"Dimitri?" I croaked. My throat was so dry; it felt like I'd swallowed a bucket of sand.

I heard a deep chuckle.

The darkness suddenly vanished. I blinked a few times at the brightness, and then my eyes adjusted to who was in front of me.

I gasped.

I recognized that man from a photo. A picture that had been in my mentor's apartment. Alexander Drozdov was his name; I think…at least that's what Dimitri had told me.

Standing mere inches from my face, was the man who had pressed the cloth over my nose. That man who had kidnapped me.

Dimitri's abusive father.

"Am I not what you're looking for, baby?" he asked. "You look surprised. I do not mean to disappoint you."

I spit in his face.

He closed his eyes and wiped his chin off with his shirt, exposing some of the muscle underneath. That didn't help to settle my unease. This guy was nearly as ripped as his son was. It was going to be hard fighting him off when I escaped.

"You really shouldn't have done that." He lifted his hand.

_Wham._

I cried out as his palm made contact with my cheek. For a split second, everything went blaring white.

I heard a small, soft whimper to my left.

I turned my head to see what it came from.

And that's when my whole world came to a sudden halt.

Lissa.

She was bound by her wrists and ankles to a chair, her mouth was covered in duct tape.

And she was completely naked.

I glanced down at my body and realized I was in the same state she was, minus that duct tape.

I let out a small sob as Lissa's tear filled, jade-green eyes met mine. "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head, and although her mouth was covered, her eyes spoke wonders.

_Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. _They said.

"You know what I find funny?" A new voice from behind Alexander said. It sounded oddly familiar.

"What do you find funny, master?" Alexander kept his furious black eyes on me, but there was a note of fondness and respect in his voice.

"How the killer was right in front of everyone's face, and they still didn't suspect me or have a clue as to who it was."

Alexander moved to my side, revealing the man who had been talking.

At the same time, Lissa and I gasped in surprise.

Victor Dashkov.

Or more importantly, my best friend's beloved uncle.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I blurted out.

He ignored me.

"You know what else is unusual?" Victor asked. "Your general was as clueless and as stupid as them all. He liked to pretend he knew what he was doing, that he was in control, but he wasn't. It was anyone's wild guess."

Shock numbed my limbs. Could it really be _him_? Could Lissa's sweet uncle, the one with the ill wife, be the one committing these horrendous crimes?

Staring at him now, I knew the answer…but I didn't want to believe it.

"Perhaps your precious mentor could have actually found a suspect or at the very least, a lead, if he hadn't been so busy screwing Natasha."

I growled.

"However, I cannot say that I am not happy about that." He laughed and pressed his hands together as he paced back and forth. "I am actually quiet overjoyed. It's always an advantage to have someone on the inside, you know, be one step ahead of the game."

My stomach dropped in dread. "What? _She's_ apart of this whole ting too?"

Victor stared down at me with a smile on his face, his skin crinkled around his eyes. "You are smarter than you look, Rosemarie. I am impressed."

"You're sick."

He shrugged and waved his hand. "Come here, Natasha."

I wanted to hurl over and throw up when Tasha appeared beside Victor, and smiled. "Hello, Rose. Hello, Lissa."

I used to think she was beautiful, with that raven-black hair and those smoldering blue eyes, and the way she was always sweet to everyone. But looking at her now, in those blue scrubs and surgical cap, she was nothing but a monster. A monster and a murderer just like Alexander and Victor were.

Victor ran a hand over her cheek. "Natasha has been extremely helpful. Like I said earlier, it's always good to have someone on the inside. Someone who can give me updates on the police." he paused. "She's been my eyes and ears of St. Augustine's. Telling me everything I need to know. She's also on good terms with the General," Victor snickered. "And that's always an advantage, correct Natasha?"

She wickedly grinned and kept those cold eyes on me as she spoke to Victor. "Correct, master. It has been an advantage in more ways than one." she winked.

I wanted to claw her eyes out. I yanked on the ropes tying me down.

"Why are you doing this?"

The three of them exchanged a glance. "Shall we tell her?"

Victor nodded. "I pay my employees a reasonable amount."

I gaped. "You're doing this for money?"

Alexander and Tasha nodded.

"You're torturing young women, keeping them alive while you remove their organs, and then killing them…all for _money_?"

"Yeah, that pretty much covers it." Alexander said.

"Why didn't you just let them go?" I asked. "There was a possibility they'd live"

Victor laughed. "Without a heart, that's unlikely. Besides, if they did, do you really think they'd keep their mouth shuts?" His lips twisted into a sadistic grin. "No. They'd run to the police the minute they got out of here. I'd ruin my reputation. I'd be branded as a murderer. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in prison."

"Then you shouldn't have killed them."

"I had to save Maryanne."

"Huh?" I asked in confusion. "How is killing teenage girls going to help save your wife?"

"She's dying. She needs fresh organs."

"Huh?" I asked again, even more confused.

Lissa was completely still beside me. I think she was in shock.

"Do you know what Sandovsky's syndrome is, Rosemarie?" Victor asked.

I shook my head.

"Sandovsky's syndrome is a chronic disease that eats at all the vital organs, slowly and painfully, and it eventually kills you. That is what's happening to Maryanne. Her condition is worsening. I'm running out of time."

"Why kill them though?" I snarled. "Why can't you…I don't know…get organs from the hospital like normal people do?"

"From the hospital?" He barked out a harsh laugh. "Because of Maryanne being sick and older, she would be last on the waiting list. It would take months, even years for them to get any of the organs she needs. And Maryanne would be dead by then. That is why."

"They'll find us."

"Who?"

"The police. And they'll arrest you. You won't get away with this."

Victor, Alexander, and Tasha shared a glance at one another before they busted up laughing.

"What is so amusing?" I spoke through clenched teeth.

"Do you really think anyone cares if you go missing?" Victor didn't give me a chance to answer. "Or any other cadet for that matter? You're all just a bunch of corrupt teenagers sent to that military academy. You parents won't care if you're gone. They actually prefer it that way. I'm doing your mother and father a favor by giving them one less problem to deal with."

Victor paused and paced back and forth. "That is why this is the perfect place for me to…what's that word? Ah, yes. Kidnap." He chuckled, and the sound made me want to scrub my skin raw. "That is why this is the perfect place for me to kidnap you. You're a female, you're young, you're body is healthy and fit—thanks to your lover and mentor, General Belikov."

I gathered saliva in my mouth and spit in his face. Calmly, his fist swung out of nowhere and connected with my jaw. My head knocked to the side. I groaned in pain.

"As I was saying…" Victor pressed his palms together. "You are the perfect candidate for the surgery." He smiled and clapped, as if he was excited. He pointed at me. "I have a good feeling about this one. I believe she is the answer to all of my problems."

Tasha and Alexander nodded in agreement.

"This will defiantly help, Maryanne." Victor said. "Okay, enough chit-chat. Let's get to work, shall we?"

"You really think you can get away with this?"

"Let me answer that question with a question," Victor said. "Do you think anyone cares if you're gone? No."

I shrugged, despite the fact that my blood was boiling with anger. "Maybe not me, but her." I jerked my head towards Lissa. "You bet your ugly, wrinkly, and old ass that they will give a damn if she goes missing."

A felt a searing sting as his hand connected with my cheek again. "Shut up!"

"Are you stupid?" I laughed. "She's one of only two nurses at St. Augustine's. Her parents are filthy rich. Don't be an idiot, just let her go!"

"I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

"She'd run and tell the authorities. I can't take any risks." He walked over to Lissa and brushed her blonde hair to the side. She whimpered and flinched away from his touch.

"I'm sorry, dear. I love you, you know that right?"

She screamed muffled curses through the duct tape.

That made me proud.

"I wish it didn't have to be like this." Victor took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

He glanced at Alexander. "Put her on the bed!"

Lissa and I screamed at the same time. Her scream was from fear, mine was from pure rage. I felt like I was going to explode.

Dimitri's father untied the ropes and effortlessly threw her small body over his shoulder. She tried to fight, but she was no match for him. He was strong, so so strong. I could tell that from the way her threw her down on the bed and immobilized her.

"Stay the fuck away from her!" My voice was so loud, so deep, and angry…that I didn't even recognize it as my own at first.

Victor ignored me. I watched as he filled a syringe with clear liquid from a vile. That same bottle I'd dreamed about.

"Sorry, baby girl. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time." he injected the contents into her arm.

Lissa's screams turned to moans, her naked body went limp.

I started balling my eyes out, feeling helpless and hopeless.

This was the end for her. For both of us…

But I didn't give a damn about whether I lived to see another day. All I cared about was Lissa. I only wanted to protect her. And here I sat, tied up and unable to fight. The only thing I could do was scream and pull on my restraints. I'd failed my best friend. The only person in this world besides Dimitri that I'd ever cared about.

I yelped as a sharp pain suddenly pierced my skull and my head was jerked backwards by my hair.

I was met with a pair of ice-blue eyes.

"So you're the one Dimka is so fascinated with?" Tasha smiled cruelly. "I'm going to have fun with you."

A scalpel cut across my cheek, deep and long.

I screamed.

* * *

**APOV: **

I was rolling a cigarette with rich Turkish tobacco when the door suddenly flung open.

"Shit!" I jumped and spilled everything onto the ground. I looked down at the mess and waste of tobacco. "Shit!" I repeated.

The Russian stood there. He strode towards me, with graceful and powerful movements. "I need to talk to you."

I gulped and automatically took a step back. "Ah, listen." I cleared my throat harshly. "About that…that stuff is legal. I-I-I got it from a friend—"

He gripped my arm. "Where is Rose?"

"Not on my dick, that's for sure. Ya know what I mean?" I laughed, trying to lighten up the tension in the air, but groaned when he squeezed so tightly my arm felt numb.

"I'm not here to play games, Ivashkov. Where is she? Have you seen her?"

"Last time I saw her was when you broke down my door. And we were…well, you know." I sighed then muttered softly, "Cock-blocker."

"Rose and Lissa are missing."

My whole body stiffened. "What?"

"Rose and Lissa are missing." Dimitri repeated slowly, as if I was mentally challenged.

"How do you know?" I demanded.

"This is how I know." He flashed something white in my face. It took my eyes a moment to adjust. It was a card, with a picture of Lissa on it. It almost looked like an ID, but it wasn't.

"What's that?"

"An identification card," Dimitri said. "Lissa's medical license. She's required to wear it when she's working at all times."

"So…?"

"She hasn't clocked in yet. She was supposed to work today," he glanced at his watch. "She is four hours late. And according to Dr. Olendzki, and all of Lissa's coworkers, that is not like her at all."

I felt sick to my stomach.

"I need you to find them. Now."

I nodded, already knowing what I had to do.

"Remember to keep quiet." I lay down on my couch and closed my eyes, focusing all of my thoughts on Rose and Lissa.

"Don't you need to say some prayers and light a few candles…or something like that?" Dimitri asked.

"No. There's no time for that." I said. "Now shut the trap."

It was about twenty minutes later when the world around me went silent and black.

Good, I was finally asleep.

_Everything flashed white. Suddenly, my vision cleared and I was in some sort of meadow. _

_The grass reached past my knees and pink flowers dominated the field. The sun shone brightly on the mountains and tall pine trees. To my left, there were deer drinking from a creek. _

_Everything was absolutely beautiful._

_"Hey, Bambi." I waved at the baby deer._

_She trotted over to me. I smoothed my hand over her brown fur._

_I had to remind myself this was a dream, not reality. And I needed to stay focused. Two young girls' lives depended on me._

_I thought of Rose. Her dark brown hair, her smile, those big eyes…_

_Suddenly, a loud thundering noise broke out as gray and black clouds spilled through the sky. _

_I looked to my left and the deer were gone. The flowers disappeared. Day switched to night. Everything just went…ugly._

_"Shit." I muttered. This wasn't good._

_Rain started pouring and lightening filled the night._

_ I felt something touch my foot. I glanced down. There were snakes slithering across my shoes. I held in my gasp as I started running. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"_

_Rose and Lissa were definitely in trouble. I knew that because the snakes and horrible weather represented evil._

_"Rose!" I called out to her as I ran through the weather. "Lissa!"_

_"Over here." Rose appeared out of nowhere. She had on a white dress and was bare feet. "I'm over here."_

_I grabbed hold of her hands. "Where are you?"_

_"What?" her voice held a tinge of surprise and fear._

_"I need you to tell me where you are, baby." I smoothed down her soaked hair. Rain fell into my eyes and my whole body started burning, like someone had poured gasoline and lit me on fire._

_I doubled over in pain and groaned._

_"Tell me where you are."_

_"I-I...I don't know were I am."_

_"Think about it. Think hard." I whispered. "We don't have much time."_

_I watched her forehead crease and her eyes squint as she went deep into thought. A moment later, she bit her lip._

_"I...I think I was taken."_

_The burning increased, until it became nearly unbearable. "That's right, Rose. Keep going, you're doing great. Just please," I dropped to my knees and clutched my stomach. "Hurry the fuck up!"_

_I heard her gasp. "Victor."_

_That one word was all I needed to know._

**DPOV:**

Adrian had been sleeping for two hours when his body suddenly jolted, as if someone had electrocuted him.

He didn't open his eyes when he spoke in a voice that didn't sound anything like him. "I need a pen and paper. Now."

I quickly searched his apartment and handed him what he needed.

With his eyes still closed, the hand holding a pen started to scribble lines and numbers on the paper quickly, as if it had a mind of its own.

I paced back and forth anxiously, like a keyed up lion. I needed to do something. I needed to save Rose. I just couldn't stand here and do nothing. My hands shook and I had the urge to punch something.

So I did.

My fist went through the wall.

Adrian didn't seem affected by the loud bang at all as he continued to sketch. When he was finally done, he opened his eyes and slid the paper over to me.

I picked it up and studied the drawing. It looked like some sort of map. I knew all of the roads like the back of my hand.

"She's there." He pointed to a spot just fifteen miles south of St. Augustine's.

I shook my head. "Not possible. That's where Victor Dashkov's estate is."

A moment of silence passed over us. So deafening and quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

As realization settled in my chest, I stared at Adrian in shock.

"Yep." He nodded with pursed lips. "It looks like you've finally got your murderer." He clapped his hands and stood up. "We better hurry up before Rose and Lissa become victim number four and five."

* * *

**RPOV:**

I screamed and pulled on my restraints until my wrists and ankles bled.

I heard my best friend's soft moans.

Realizing everything I did was useless and there was no way to save Lissa, I closed my eyes, unable to bear the thought of watching them torture and mutilate her right in front of me.

What seemed like hours later, I heard gurgling noises and slapping sounds, like someone was rinsing their mouth out with Listerine over and over again.

Lissa's organs were being removed, I realized.

The sound of an electric saw being turned on made me close my eyes tighter and sob harder.

Eventually, the moans stopped completely and everything went silent.

Me eyes peeked open, taking in the sight before me.

I hurled forward and threw up repeatedly.

Lissa, the one person I swore to God to protect, was dead.

And I was next.


	17. Chapter 17: Escape

**Authors note: **Last chapter, someone asked me why no one saw Alexander kidnapping Rose and Lissa. Well, in chapter 15, the last scene where Rose was drugged occurred _really_ early in the morning (when almost everyone was sleeping), so that is the reason why. Just wanted to make that clear.

Another thing, this is a HUMAN story…so there's no spirit healing or compulsion here. Sorry. Adrian may be amazing with his clairvoyant gifts, but he's not superman. :-)

-Breanna

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

******Rated M. First half of the chapter is very disturbing. Don't read if you don't have a tough stomach.******

_**Previously on A Blessing in Disguise…**_

_Eventually, the moans stopped completely and everything went silent._

_Me eyes peeked open, taking in the sight before me._

_I hurled forward and threw up repeatedly._

_Lissa, the one person I swore to God to protect, was dead._

_And I was next._

**RPOV:**_  
_

Or at least I thought she was dead…

The sight before me was…unexplainable. It was just blood, blood, and more blood. It was like a scene from a horror movie. Except this wasn't acting, this was real.

Lissa's held was tilted to the side. And she was staring straight at me. The tears gushing out of her jade-green eyes told me she was feeling everything they were doing to her. She could feel the needles, the scalpel, the saw…all of the pain.

She couldn't move…thanks to whatever shit Victor had injected into her. Her body was temporarily paralyzed. I couldn't even begin to fathom how she felt, not being able to scream, not being able to run away. Lissa was trapped in her own body.

I wanted to scream to God, '_Why aren't you helping her? Save her! Take me instead!'_

Not only were those jade-green eyes sad, tear-filled, and agonized…but they were speaking to me as well.

_'I've given up. Just please, let me die already…Please put me out of this misery.'_

I growled through my fountain of tears. _'Don't you dare give up.'_ I mouthed, hoping she understood.

I was going to get us out of here. Even if _I _didn't make it out alive, she would.

I just needed to find a way out.

I glanced up to where Lissa was on the hospital bed. Victor and Alexander were huddled over her, while Tasha was crouched over a freezer, filling it with fresh ice.

Okay, good. They were preoccupied…for now. I was the least of their concerns.

I pulled on my ropes again. Unsuccessful.

I frantically glanced all around me. There was nothing. Nothing that could help me escape.

Except…something silver flashed in the corner of my eye.

Oh, thank you sweet Jesus.

On the table beside me, was the scalpel Tasha had used to cut me with. Luckily, she'd only got me a few times before Victor called her over to assist him, because that shit was painful. I will never understand how you can sit there and watch a person suffer, especially _inflict _the pain.

_How stupid of her to leave it there_, I thought, _but then again how wonderful it is for me._

While keeping my eyes on the three murderers and making sure they were preoccupied, my fingers strained to reach for the scalpel.

_Damn it. _

Gritting my teeth, I shoved my right hand towards it as hard as I could. The pokey ropes bit into my already deeply cut skin, stinging my wounds as if someone had poured salt into them. I stretched my fingers out to full capacity, feeling the bones strain.

One fingertip touched the bottom of it. I breathed a sigh of relief. My eyes remained on Victor, Tasha, and Alexander as my aching fingers pulled the scalpel into my palm.

I wanted to scream for joy. I had it! I had it!

I bit my lip, there was no need to draw attention to myself, not now. I was so close.

My mind was racing a million miles an hour, my heart was going so fast I could see my chest thump with each beat. My hands shook and I was practically swimming in my own sweat. I guess this is what they call an adrenaline rush. It made sense for my body and mind to be in this state, I was in a life or death situation. My only thought was escaping, and letting Lissa survive.

The first thing I needed to do was get these ropes off me. It would help if I could use my hands and feet, but then that would abolish the need to untie myself, now wouldn't it?

Flipping the scalpel's blade towards my right wrist, I pressed it to the ropes, and started sawing away - slowly but surely. I flinched every time the sharp metal got close to the veins in my wrist, but I knew I had to calm down.

I was careful to keep my body still after that and my eyes set ahead at Lissa, that way they didn't suspect I was doing something that would ruin their plans.

I tried to keep my mind off what Victor and Alexander were doing to Lissa, or how many organs they'd removed from her body as I stuck the scalpel over the rope repeatedly. I could only hope it wasn't already too late for my best friend.

Tasha stepped back from the freezer and looked back at me. I tensed and stopped immediately, thinking she caught me. But the only thing she did was smile that sinister smile that made my blood run cold, and turn her attention back to scooping ice into the freezer. God only knows what organs were being stored in it.

I breathed a sigh of relief when my right hand was free. After quickly placing the scalpel into my left hand, I kept my right hand in its place as I started working on the other ropes.

When both hands came free, I wanted to scream with joy. I was the happiest person in the world at that moment…

But then I realized my ankles were still bound and all that relief vanished. How in hell was I going to cut those free without them noticing me? The only way to get to my ankles was to lean over…so that's what I did.

My gaze was still focused on Victor, Tasha, and Alexander as I vigorously sawed at the ropes, slicing deep into my skin multiple times, but I didn't care. Every time the three of them so much as moved or twitched, I'd slam my body back into its earlier position, pretending to still be restrained.

Luckily, they were so preoccupied with what they were doing; they didn't seem to notice me. How stupid and uncareful they were…

At last, I was free of the ropes completely. Naked, but free. And that was all that mattered.

I glanced at Lissa, who blinked her eyes. She was still alive. For now…

I wasn't sure how much blood she could loose, but she'd already lost so much and I knew I was running out of time.

While Tasha and Victor were the brains of this plan, Alexander was obviously the body and all the muscle. I needed to take him down first. The others would be easy…at least I hoped.

It was time for a distraction. I used my mouth. It was my best weapon I had besides the scalpel. I needed to lure Dimitri's father closer to me.

"Hey, listen here, you son's of bitches!" I screamed.

None of them looked my way.

"Just ignore her." Victor murmured, concentrating on his work.

"Alexander!"

"Shut up."

"You know your son told me stories about you. He said you're not a very good man."

"Dimitri's right. You should listen to him."

It was hard talking to someone who has his back turned to you, so I resorted to drastic measures, hoping to draw a reaction from him. "You're a disgusting old lonely man. You know that? You're a pathetic excuse for a human being. You're a waste of space."

"Shut the fuck up." he growled. I could hear the anger in his voice and I knew my plan was working.

"Why don't you make me? Beat me like you did your wife and your daughters." I yelled. "You're a coward, Alexander. Nothing. You are so beneath me that I don't even like being in the same room as you."

He spun around, holding a pair of surgical scissors. "If I didn't have to keep you alive in order to perform the surgery, I would shove these through those beautiful eyes over and over again." Dimitri's father licked his lips and I had the urge to vomit again. He pointed the scissors at me. "I'm going to have fun with you."

I didn't know what he meant by 'fun'. By the way he was looking at me with predatory onyx eyes, I'd say it could be anything from raping to torturing me. Probably both. This guy had no conscious or remorse for what he did; he was a monster, an animal. The thought of what he might do to my body terrified the hell out of me.

"You're not a man at all." _Don't get him too pissed off. _I thought._ If you die Lissa will too._

He licked his lips and cupped his crotch area. "Want me to prove you wrong? I can do that right now. In front of all of them. I like an audience."

I shuddered and bile rose in my throat but I swallowed it down. "I hope you go to hell, right where you belong."

This seemed to make Dimitri's father snap because he came at me full force.

Bingo.

Alexander' eyes widened as he discovered I'd cut through my ropes. He opened his mouth to aware Victor and Tasha of the situation…but I didn't give him enough time to speak.

I clutched the scalpel in my hand tightly, launched out of my seat, and drove the blade into the side of his neck.

Blood squirted out of his neck like a volcano erupting. Cherry-red liquid covered my hair, face, chest, legs…my everywhere. In a sick and twisted way, I was proud of myself for taking him down. That meant I was one step closer to saving Lissa.

Alexander fell to the ground clutching his neck. Blood poured out of his mouth and onto the ground as he made sickening gurgling noises. He was chocking on his own blood.

I scolded myself for feeling a twinge of guilt. I felt crazy for feeling sorry for him. He had helped kill three teenage girls.

I guess it was just natural for me to feel bad for another human being suffering, it was in my nature. Dimitri's father would die alone, bleeding from his neck on a cold and hard ground. None of these people in the room loved him…and his next stop was hell.

"Sucks for you." I shrugged, staring into those black eyes as they went blank and lifeless. "I can't say that you didn't deserve it."

I realized then that I didn't feel sorry for Alexander…I felt sorry for Dimitri. I had just killed his father. I'd taken him away from him. And no matter how much Dimitri denied it, I knew that somewhere deep down that he loved Alexander, killer or not, he was his father.

"You bitch!" Tasha wailed, dropping to her knees and holding onto Alexander's cold and bloody body.

I had a death grip on the scalpel. I could do it. I could shove it through her throat and kill her, too. It would be over just like that.

But could I really kill Christian's aunt? He'd already lost his parents. Could I really take another family member from him? The only person he had left in this world besides Lissa?

I should have just killed her and got it over with.

But I hesitated.

And that was the biggest mistake I could have made.

I was so caught up with Tasha and Alexander that I forgot about Victor…

I felt something pierce my back. The pain stole my breath away and kept it.

I glanced down just as fresh blood started gushing out of my stomach. My blood.

There was something silver sticking out of my skin.

Victor had stabbed me.

I heard four large bangs and the door suddenly flung open.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust. For a moment, I thought I might have been hallucinating, but the moment they filled the room, I knew it was real.

Police.

The police had come to save us.

I froze on the spot.

And then faces I was familiar with came through the door. Mason, Christian, Adrian, and…Dimitri. I met his brown eyes.

I forgot about the knife in my stomach. I didn't feel pain. I just watched everything that was going on around me…I think I was in shock.

The police looked at Lissa on the operating table. They all shared the same look of horror, two of them even hurled forward and got sick.

Christian stepped forward, pale as a ghost, as if he didn't want to believe what was in front of him. But then his ice-blue eyes flickered to his girlfriends face. He dropped to his knees and broke down.

My attention was pulled away from him as my body abruptly jerked. Victor had pulled the knife out of me. Fortunately, I didn't feel the pain.

Tasha stepped away from Alexander's body and started backing away, towards the wall.

Victor pulled me hard against his body, using me as a human shield, and pressed the knife to my throat. "Don't come any closer! I swear to God, I will kill her if you do!"

The cops pointed their guns towards me and Victor.

"Drop your weapon!" The police officer in the front shouted. "Put your hands up and drop your weapon!"

"I'll do it. I'm not going to prison." Victor growled. Wanting to prove how serious he was, he pressed the knife harder against my skin. It stung like a thousand jellyfish were attacking my neck. I felt warm liquid drip down my neck and chest.

He kept pressing and pressing…and I kept bleeding and bleeding.

How much deeper could he go into my skin before he hit my jugular vein? Surely not far, because he was already so deep…

Was this it for me? Was I going to die right here, in front of all these people, at the hands of a murderer?

I already knew the answer.

Tears fell from my eyes as I glanced down at Lissa. She blinked at me and that's when I realized everything was going to be okay…even if I was no longer walking this earth. It was okay for me to leave. The police would take her to the hospital, Christian would take good care of her for me. I trusted him and knew he'd love her dearly. What more could I ask for?

Victor continued to press the blade into my throat as the police shouted at him. But I didn't hear anything they were saying. It was like the whole world was in slow motion.

I met the gaze of the man I loved with everything in me. I stared into his beautiful sorrowful brown eyes for the very last time. I tried to convey everything I was unable to say with my gaze. I truly did love Dimitri with all of my heart. I was sorry that I had to leave so abruptly.

I'd miss those smiles. I'd miss the way he always looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. I'd miss our playful banter and the way he always made my heart pound in my chest. I'd miss Dimitri…

How I wish I had a second chance at life. How I wish I could have more time to spend with him…

But that wasn't going to happen. Our time was cut short. I was coming up on my exit soon and I had to say goodbye now.

At least he knew I loved him, though. And that was all that mattered…I waited for death. I welcomed it.

But it never came.

It all happened so fast before I even had a chance to register it.

Mason came out of nowhere and shoved me.

Victor stumbled and released me. In one swiping motion, he brought the blade to his chest, and struck his arm out. The blade slid across Mason's neck.

Blood splattered all over Victor and I.

I screamed. "NO!"

The cop in the front emptied his clip into Victor's chest. Bullets popped all around the air but not one hit me. Victor swayed and dropped to the ground with a loud _thud_. His body convulsed a few times, the life drained from his green eyes, and he went completely still. Victor was dead.

All of the officers stormed Tasha.

But my attention wasn't on them.

It was on Mason—my fellow cadet, classmate, and great friend.

Wide blue eyes stared at me, he put both hands to his neck and fell to the floor.

The feeling that came over me was the most horrible thing I have ever felt. I'd watched Victor get shot, I'd watched Alexander bleed to death, I'd watched my best friend get cut up like a piece of meat, but this was different…watching someone get murdered in cold blood was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before.

There was no rescuing him…he was gone. Even if the best doctors were in the room with their tools ready, there was no saving him…that cut was too deep.

But I wasn't going to let Mason die alone, like Alexander had. Mason needed to know that someone cared about him.

I lay down on the ground beside him and cradled his twitching and convulsing body into my arms. I was in a puddle of crimson liquid, but I didn't care. All I cared about was making Mason's last moments of life less painful. Because I knew that if I was in that position, he'd do the same for me. I'd want to die with someone I loved beside me, holding my hand.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay." My cries filled the room. "You're not alone, baby. I'm here. I'm here."

I cried my heart out as I clutched his body. Mason twitched a few more times and then went completely still.

Mason had taken his last breaths of life in my arms. He'd died in my arms. He'd sacrificed his own life so I could have mine.

I cannot tell you how painful knowing that was.

I don't know how long I lay there, holding Mason's body protectively, when I heard the most beautiful sound in the world. The voice of an angel.

"Roza?"

I turned my head to the side to look up and it ached every part of my body. "Dimitri?"

"Yeah, baby. I'm here. " I heard the raw emotion in his voice, it made the sound as rough as gravel. "You need to let Mason go, so the police officers can take care of him. Is that okay?"

My chin started trembling uncontrollably. "But I don't wanna let him go. I'll never see him again. I have to protect him." I smoothed my hand along Mason's bloodied cheek. The blank look in his baby-blue eyes would haunt me forever.

"You have. You have." I felt something touch my shoulder and I flinched.

"He didn't deserve this." I was talking more to myself than anyone else. "He was so young. A-a-an…and that bastard took his life away."

"We need to take the body now." said a male voice that I didn't recognize.

I growled, like a mama bear protecting her cubs.

"Just give me a moment." Dimitri said. "Roza, you have to let Mason go. The paramedics need to make sure your neck is okay." The love of my life's voice was so soft and gentle, as if he was speaking to a child.

"I know. I know. I'll let him go." Saying those words burned my throat and shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. "Just let me say goodbye to him."

"Okay."

I gazed down at Mason. "I love you, you know that right?" I kissed him all over his face, my voice was past hysteria. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. God, Mase. Why did you do this?" I pressed my forehead to his. "I'm so sorry."

I kissed his cheek one last time, gave him one last hug, and whispered my farewell. "I'll meet you again one day, my friend."

And then I let them take Mason away.

I somehow managed to stand on my feet. And when I met the brown eyes of the man I loved more than anything else on this earth, I broke down all over again.

"Dimitri." The tears wouldn't stop coming. My body shook uncontrollably.

"Oh, Roza." he pulled my battered, bloodied, and naked body into his arms…where I was content to stay forever. I was finally safe again. I was finally home again.

I started hyperventilating.

"Just breathe, baby. Breathe." Dimitri pulled me in tighter. I felt something cool and wet hit the top of my head and realized he was crying along with me.

I fisted my hands into his shirt. "I was so scared, Dimitri. I didn't want to die."

"I know, Roza. I know." his voice cracked. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't here to protect you. Oh, God. You don't know how much I wish I could of been."

"Is Lissa okay?" I asked without taking my face away from his chest. I didn't want to look.

"The paramedic's air lifted her out of here and took her to the hospital. I am not sure about her condition."

A loud sob escaped my lips. "So she was alive when they took her out of here?"

I felt him nod. "Yeah, Lissa was. She actually squeezed Christian's hand. He went with her on the emergency helicopter."

"Oh, God." I cried even harder.

And that's when the pain hit me. I felt everything—the cuts in my cheek made by Tasha, my ankle and wrists wounds from the rope, and the gash in my throat. It was as if my body was telling me: _Lissa is okay, everyone is okay, now you can finally worry about yourself._

"Don't leave me, Dimitri."

I locked eyes with his heartbreakingly familiar and warm brown eyes. "I'll never leave you, Roza. I'll always be here for you. Nobody is going to take you away from me. Do you hear me? No one."

I lay my head on his chest and closed my eyes. "Thank you."

He took off his duster, wrapped it around my naked and bloodied body, and pulled me tightly into his side. "Come on, Roza. Let's get you to the paramedics."

* * *

**1 month later: (Christmas time)**

Lissa was finally going to be released from the hospital today. And I was a little nervous and scared to see her again. Would she be angry at me? Would she think I could have stopped Victor sooner? Would she think it was my fault I hadn't saved her quicker? Would she never want to see me again?

A million questions were running through my mind. I shook my head to clear the negative thoughts. No. I needed to stay positive for Lissa. By me being sad, it was only going to make things worse for her. And that's the last thing she needed right now.

Lissa had been in and out of intensive care unit and dozens of surgeries for weeks. The doctors never let me see her, saying she needed time to heal from her traumatic experience. I had the urge to punch that doctor in the face.

Since I was unable to visit her, I sent her loads of flowers, candies, balloons, and a billion cards. I wanted to make sure she knew I was thinking about her.

Thinking so deeply about Lissa and the memories of that day where we'd been kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and nearly brought to our deaths…made me think about someone who'd lost their life that day. And it wasn't Alexander or Victor.

_It was my time to make peace with Mason's death. I walked up to the front, took a deep breath, and worked my hardest not to start crying. I had to get this speech over with first, and then I would allow myself to break down._

_Mason rested with his eyes closed in the white coffin beside me. White roses lay next to a picture of him smiling with that fire red hair in his baby-blue eyes. It was such a happy and innocent photo of him, reminding everybody here what a beautiful person he was in life. _

_I didn't have a speech prepared, so I spoke from my heart._

_"I hadn't known Mason for very long, only a few months, but for the short time that I did get the blessing of being his friend, I knew he was the most caring and honest person I'd ever met."_

_My voice cracked and the aching lump in my throat formed. I took a few moments to collect my self, and a deep breath before speaking again._

_"Mason was one of my best friends. He was like the brother that I'd never had. He always tried to make you laugh and he could light up a whole room with that smile. That is what I will truly miss about Mason. The way he could always make me happy when I was really sad. The way he always cheered me up when he knew I'd had a bad day. And the way he was always there when someone was in need."_

_I dabbed my eyes with a tissue._

_"I will forever be grateful to have known Mason. I will forever be grateful to have been his friend. All the memories I have shared with him will forever be cherished and remembered. Mason will forever live in my heart…In all of our hearts."_

_My eyes met Dimitri's warm and encouraging brown eyes, and he gave me the strength to keep going._

_"Don't ever forget Mason. He never wanted to see people cry. He wanted to make everyone happy. So at this moment, when we are about to lay his body to rest, let's all think back and remember how Mason touched our lives. How he made us laugh and how good of a person he was."_

_"I want you all to remember him as the strong, fierce, loyal, empathetic, loving, and beautiful person Mason was; as this is the way I will remember my friend forever." I finished and looked out towards the small crowd of Mason's family and friends; there wasn't one person in the audience with dry eyes._

_I quickly strode over to Dimitri, he wrapped his strong arms around me and I knew everything was going to be okay._

_"I've let go, Dimitri." I whispered. "I've finally let go."_

_"I'm so proud of you, Roza." _

_The music started playing as they lowered Mason's body into the ground._ _My grip on him tightened, bringing his warm body closer to mine. I needed this type of contact right now. I needed Dimitri to be my band-aid and hold me together so I wouldn't fall apart._

_I need some distraction oh beautiful release,_  
_Memories seep from my veins,_  
_They may be empty and weightless and maybe,_  
_I'll find some peace tonight…_

_Dimitri held me while I cried and sobbed on his shoulder. These tears were different from the hundreds of others I had shed over the past week...they were tears of acceptance. _

_In the arms of an Angel fly away from here,_  
_From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear,_  
_You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie,_  
_You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here…_

_I was finally able to release all of the guilt boiling inside my soul. I didn't feel like I needed to hold myself responsible for what happened to Mason. I was a free person now, I could leave that horrible prison I was trapped in behind. Dimitri and I could move on and be happy now._

_Mason had made his choice to sacrifice his life for me. And he did it for a reason. He did it so I could live on and be happy. _

_Dimitri held onto me as we watched the tractor scoop dirt into the hole in the ground. That's where Mason was going to lie for the rest of eternity. It was strangely peaceful and sad. Peaceful because I knew he could finally rest...and sad because this really was goodbye._

_In the arms of an Angel far away from here,_  
_From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear,_  
_You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie,_  
_In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here…_

_Once they were done, I laid a red rose over his grave. I brushed my finger tips over his tombstone and smiled through my tears. "Hey, Mase."_

_Maybe it wasn't goodbye...I knew he'd be watching over me from heaven. And that was, as strange as it may sound…really, really comforting._

_You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here…_

I always ask myself, how will I get over this? The answer is, and will always be: I just won't. It's something that will forever stick with me until the end of my days, and it's something I have to learn to live with—the nightmares, the emotional and physical scarring, the constant paranoid looks over my shoulder, and the way I don't like to be alone or left in the dark.

That day really showed me what a scary place the world can be, and how many fucked up people are out there. But there's also tons of good people out there. The people who have been helping me heal, like my friends and my…boyfriend.

Dimitri glanced at me from the driver seat and squeezed my hand. "Are you ready?"

I stared into the warmness of his deep brown eyes, gathered the strength from the mere presence of him, and nodded. "Let's do this."

"Okay," he unleashed a smile that made my heart thump loudly in my chest. Leaning over in the seat, Dimitri pressed a kiss to my lips, and then lowered his mouth down to place a kiss against my rough and jagged scar—the one I'd gotten from Victor's knife.

"You're beautiful."

"And you're making it hard for me to breathe."

He pulled back instantly and his forehead creased in concern. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you? Did I hurt your neck?"

I rolled my eyes. "You worry too much about me. And no, it was none of that. I just meant that it was hard for me to breathe because…you know…being close to all your sexiness is sort of…"

"Breathtaking?" he smirked, arching an eyebrow.

I laughed. "I'm soo _not_ feeding your male ego anymore tonight. Let's go."

We walked into the hospital, hand in hand, and asked the nurse where Vasilisa Dragomir's room was. After telling her that I was a relative and I was here to pick her up, she directed me to room 153 on the third floor.

"I'll wait here." Dimitri cupped my face and kissed me slowly and thoroughly.

"Mmmkay." I hummed, dazedly. "I'll just be a minute."

I found room 153 with ease after asking a few passing doctors and nurses. I slowed down and peeked my head into the room, freezing on the spot.

Lissa and Christian were there. They hadn't noticed me yet.

Lissa was sitting on the bed, smiling and laughing with Christian as he helped put her shirt over her head; I caught sight of scars and staples and cringed. But then I gazed at Lissa's face…and she looked so happy.

If you hadn't known that she'd been kidnapped and had two of her major organs removed by her deranged and psychotic uncle, you'd think she was just any other normal teenage girl.

Christian made one of his usual snarky jokes when he crouched down and started tying her shoelaces. Lissa giggled and ran her fingers through his jet-black hair. I saw that sparkle in her eyes as she gazed down at her boyfriend. I'm pretty sure I had it every time I looked at Dimitri. It was a look of pure love and adoration. Christian made Lissa feel like the only girl in the world, and I loved him for that.

"I love you so much, baby." he pressed his hand to her cheek. She leaned into his touch.

"I love you, too."

At the sound of her angelic voice, I let out a strangled cry of relief. It was like that one sound of her confirmed she was okay, confirmed she really was alive…

Both of their heads snapped up.

The instant I met Lissa's jade-green eyes, we both started bawling like babies.

She opened up her arms and I ran into her embrace.

"I'm so sorry!" I sobbed into her shoulder.

"You're so sorry? I'm so sorry!" Lissa held me tighter.

"Why in the hell should you be sorry? I'm the one who got us into this." My voice was hysterical and everything that came out of my mouth was mumble-jumble. I'm surprised she understood.

"Don't you ever say that, Rosemarie Hathaway! Do you understand me?" Lissa growled, forcing my shoulders back so she could look into my eyes.

Tears were streaming down both our faces, sobs racked through our bodies.

"If it wasn't for you," My best friend's lip trembled. "I wouldn't be alive right now. I'd be dead. You saved me. You're my guardian angel."

This only made me cry harder.

I dropped my face in the crook of her neck as we both held onto each other for dear life.

"S-s-so you're not mad at me?"

"Not in a million years."

"Thank you." I whispered. "Thank you so much for not being angry at me."

"I missed you,"

"I missed you, too. So much. And I love you so much…"

"I love you so much, too."

"Are we still friends?"

"Best friends."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

"Agreed. Friends forever."

"You know what, I don't have a clue what the two of you just said," Christian murmured. "But I love happy reunions. And I'll be damned if that wasn't the happiest reunion I've ever witnessed."

Lissa and I shared a glance before pulling Christian into a fierce hug and sandwiching him between our bodies.

"I can get used to this," Christian said, placing his arms around our shoulders. "Merry Christmas everyone."

* * *

"Ouch!" I sucked on the tiny dot of fresh blood on my thumb. "Motherf-" Dimitri shot me a glare, stopping me from finishing that word.

"Tell me again, why do I have to do this?" I put three more pieces of popcorn through the needle and down the string, and then added a cranberry.

"Because it's going to look great on the tree." Dimitri murmured, placing a John Wayne ornament on a branch.

I laughed. "Seriously, Comrade?"

"Yep."

I shook my head, continuing to string popcorn and cranberries onto the yarn. When I'd gone through three bags of popcorn and one whole package of cranberries, my fingers were covered in needle pricks and felt as if they were about to fall off.

"Can I stop now?" I whined.

Dimitri was busy throwing silver and gold tinsel onto the Christmas tree, he glanced over his shoulder...and groaned.

"What?" I said defensively.

"How long did you put the popcorn in the microwave, Rose?"

I shrugged. "A couple of minutes..."

"How long?" he demanded.

"Well, umm," I cleared my throat. "I originally thought I had put it on for two minutes, but I accidentally and unknowingly pressed too many zeroes and it ended up being in there for...twenty minutes."

I was expecting Dimitri to be mad and yell at me, give me a Zen lesson on how _not_ to set the kitchen on fire...or something like that. But instead he just shook his head and laughed. "Well that would explain why my apartment smells of burnt popcorn."

I cringed. "Sorry."

"And the reason all of the popcorn you've put on that garland is black."

"It's not black. It's just really, really dark brown."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine...it's black."

Dimitri went back to throwing tinsel on the tree. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe you could...I don't know...make a fresh bag that's _not_ burnt?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not so crazy about your tone, Comrade."

He shrugged.

I huffed. "You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?"

"And you're a real pain in my ass too, you know that?"

Unable to help myself, I glanced at his backside. Not bad…not bad at all. It was even better without the jeans.

I felt the weight of his eyes on me. My head snapped up and I blushed. Busted.

Dimitri had one eyebrow arched and the corners of his lips were twitching, as if he was having a hard time keeping in his laughs. "See something you like?" he used the same line I'd used on him.

I licked my lips. "Oh, yeah. I'd like it even better if you were naked. In the bed. With me."

He crooked a finger. "Come here."

I did.

Dimitri wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my neck with his face. He placed a single kiss there, right over my scar, before meeting my eyes. "It's time to put the star on the tree."

He slipped a golden star into my hands and lifted me off the ground, towards the tree. I gasped with surprised and started giggling. Dimitri didn't stop lifting me until the top branches brushed my knees.

"How the hell are you holding me up this far up?" I asked, twisting my head around. He didn't look like he was having a hard time holding my weight, his face wasn't strained at all; he looked perfectly calm and relaxed.

Dimitri smiled at me. "Just put the star on the tree."

I set it on top. "Done."

"It's crooked."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"A little less talky talky, Comrade—and more put me downy downy on the ground."

"Not until it's perfectly straight."

"Well then you should do it. You're freakishly tall. You can reach it by yourself."

I started wiggling my hips to try and get out of his iron hold.

"I want you to do it. And you're not getting down until that star is straight."

I sighed. "Fine."

I had to rearrange the star seven more times before Dimitri deemed it "perfect". He let me down.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, he placed his hands on my hips.

"You're a butthead." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"And you're beautiful." He kissed the tip of my tongue before his mouth devoured and consumed mine.

When we pulled back, I felt dizzy from his mind numbing kisses. I smacked his arm. "I know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work."

I didn't hear his chuckle, but I felt it. His body rumbled as he pressed me against the wall. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"_Sureeeee_ you don't," I rolled my eyes.

When his large hands started traveling all over my body, and his mouth attacked the skin of my shoulder, I had to push him away. "Go…go put my Christmas present on."

He clenched his jaw and I could tell he was about to argue.

"Ah, ah. No. You're not getting out of this one. You promised me you would."

"Fine." Dimitri growled. "But I'm only wearing it for twenty minutes. That's all."

I laughed at his childish tone. "Fine by me. I just want to see you in it."

"And you know your part in the deal…about the cowgirl thing…"

"Yep. Don't worry about me."

With one last glare, he strode out of the living room and into his bathroom.

Five minutes later, Dimitri stepped out of the bathroom.

The hot cocoa nearly slipped out of my hand. "Oh, my God." I gaped.

"What?" he demanded. "You don't like it?"

"I-I-I-I…" my throat dried up. "You look-I-I-I…"

Dimitri walked up to me with a cocky grin. He placed his fingers under my chin and closed my gaping mouth. "I'm assuming you like it...?"

I bobbed my head up and down like a Parakeet, swallowing hard. "Yeah."

I was so glad that I decided to order that costume online. Sure, it came from a sex shop, but it was damn worth it.

Dimitri's long and lean legs were stuffed into a pair of skin-tight red leather pants. A Santa hat lay on the top of his head. And that was it. His chest was bare, revealing tan skin, perfect bulging arms, a wide chest, and an eight pack.

I'd bought that costume as a joke, to see if he'd actually wear it for me, to use it as something I could constantly tease him about in the future. I never expected it to be a turn on, but my God...was it ever.

I threw my body at Dimitri and tackled him to the ground. He started kissing me back as the clothes flew off. It was savage. Animalistic. Rough. And so satisfying…

This was the best Christmas ever.

* * *

Song: _In the arms of an angel_ – Sarah McLaughlin

**A/N:** Unfortunately, there's only a few chapters left of this story :-( Just thought I should warn you guys.


	18. Chapter 18: Recovering

**Authors note:**

Sorry for the late update. You can all put down your pitchforks now! ;-)

This chapter wasn't edited by my beta, Dimitri. and. Roza. 4E, so blame the mistakes on me!

Two of my reviewers pointed out a big mistake that I made last chapter. Rose did get stabbed by Victor, but I forgot about it and failed to mention it again later in the chapter when I should have. All I can say is that mistakes happen and I'll try to be more careful next time.

I got a whole bunch of people asking if Rose and Dimitri made their relationship public. Well, this chapter should answer your questions.

Enjoy!

-Breanna

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

**RPOV:**

I woke up feeling content and blissful. My skin was really warm, like I'd been lying on a heating pad. I opened my eyes to find the most heartbreakingly beautiful face in the world. Dimitri. My Russian god.

"Good morning." he smiled, brushing his fingers along my arm.

"Good morning, indeed." I mumbled, stuffing my face back into his warm, bare chest.

I heard his rich chuckle. "Merry Christmas, Roza."

"Yeah, you too." I yawned. "Now let's go back to bed."

"Actually," he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I have other things planned for us."

My head snapped up. The drowsiness from sleep had worn off completely. I was wide awake now. "Making love?"

I started to straddle him but Dimitri grabbed my wrists and rolled us over so that he was now hovering above me. "Good lord. What have I done?"

"Turned me into a sex addict?"

He pursed his lips and didn't say anything, but his dark eyes spoke wonders.

"Ha ha," I laughed. "You can't blame me though, right? With a package like that you could turn any woman—or man—into a crazed sex addict. You're hung like a horse—"

"Rose." Dimitri clamped a hand over my mouth. "Stop it." I could tell from the way his mouth twitched that he was trying to contain his laughter. His large body rumbled with it.

I smiled. "Did you make me breakfast?"

"Actually, I was planning on doing that right now." I whined when he stood up from the bed, wanting him to come back to me, but then I caught sight of him buck naked and it put me to silence immediately.

My body heated up all over as I watched him throw on a pair of jeans.

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you didn't wear anything at all. I would love to watch you care for me, love me, bring me breakfast in bed…all in your birthday suit."

Dimitri brown eyes gleamed with amusement but his face didn't betray anything. "You should get dressed because Lissa and Christian are going to be over in," he glanced at his watch. "Two hours."

I yawned again. "Fine." I sat up. "But only if you take a shower with me."

He pursed his lips, pondering the thought. "But I have to make you food—"

I waved my hand to cut him off. "Just get me two chocolate glazed donuts and I'll be fine."

Dimitri chuckled, nodded, and disappeared.

A few moments later, he came back into his—our—bedroom and handed me what I'd asked for plus a glass of milk. "Yum." I immediately started scarfing down the sugary-chocolaty goodness.

My Russian god stared at me the entire time.

Once I was finished, I licked my lips and wiped my mouth. "What?" I asked, self-consciously touching my face. "Is there extra chocolate somewhere?"

"Actually, there's a small piece of donut." Dimitri reached up and brushed off a crumb.

"I was saving that for later."

"But that's not why I was staring at you," he smiled and glanced down—I swear—sheepishly. "I love watching you eat."

For some stupid and sappy reason, I blushed and smiled goofily, like a love struck teenage girl...well frankly, I guess that's what I was. Being around Dimitri, being his girlfriend, was an indescribable feeling. I was alive, fully alive, for the first time in my life. And I had Dimitri to thank for that.

As I stared at his heartbreakingly handsome face, I thought back to the first time he'd officially declared his love for me. It had been hours after Lissa and I were rescued.

_Bright burst's of light, flashes of white, covered us, followed us, temporarily blinding us. _

"_Make them go away." I mumbled, hiding my face further into Dimitri's chest._

"_Is it true that Mason Ashford was stabbed and killed tonight?"_

_That question was more painful than the hundred and thirty-seven stitches in my neck or the stab wound in my solar plexus. _

_The press shot question after question at us, shoving microphones in our faces._

"_Mr. Belikov, Mr. Belikov." One blond reporter stepped right in front of him, clutching a tape recorder in her hands tightly, as if it was the most important thing in the world. "You're the general of St. Augustine's. Isn't it your job to keep the students safe and make sure the school is in order? How do you feel about failing to do your job?"_

_Anger flared in his eyes, turning them black. "No comment."_

_Dimitri pulled me tighter to his body as he ignored everything and everyone around him. "Don't worry. We'll be there soon."_

_I didn't have the energy to talk, so I just nodded, feeling incredibly numb._

_I was so relieved once we reached the black SUV. _

_My legs wouldn't move no matter how much I told them to._

"_I-I-I...I can't do it. I'm trying to, but I can't." I started bawling my eyes out like a baby. _

_A look of anguish passed Dimitri's face before he picked me up and gently placed me in the back seat._

_My mind was distantly aware of two other people getting in the front._

_I cried harder when Dimitri slipped in beside me and pulled me to him, wrapping his massive arms around me. I was so relieved to have him with me. I was positive I wouldn't survive if I didn't have him right there with me. He was the one thing that was keeping me holding on. Well, that and the hope of Lissa getting better._

"_Thank you." I whispered, finally able to relax and close my eyes._

"_I love you, Roza."_

_My eyes snapped back open, fully alert. "What?"_

"_I love you, Roza." he said, gazing down at me with intense and passion filled eyes._

_The breath caught in my throat, there was a low ringing in my ears. That was the first time he'd ever told me that he loved me. And I wanted to hear it again._

_I smiled with the smallest twist of my lips. "What? Can you say that again?"_

"_I didn't know how much I loved you, or how much you meant to me until I nearly lost you." Dimitri rubbed his thumb pad across my mouth. "I hope that you can forgive me for not appreciating you as much as I should of when I had the chance. But most of all, I hope that you can love me back."_

_I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life._

_I nodded frantically, ignoring the stinging pain in my throat from the powerful sobs. "I wuv yew tewwww."_

_I pushed my hands together angrily. Damn, why couldn't I just calm down and talk like a goddamn normal person? _

_Dimitri outright laughed with relief clear in his eyes. "I know what you said, baby. Don't worry." He grabbed my fists and unclenched them._

"_It's about fucking time!" Someone in the front made a loud bang, like they had slammed their fist down on the dashboard. "I just knew it!"_

_My head snapped up. I blinked in disbelief. "Alberta?"_

_She was in the passenger seat. _

"_Hey, honey." She offered a kind smile._

"_Uh." Can you say busted?_

_I elbowed Dimitri in the ribs. "You stupid idiot! Why didn't you tell me—"_

"_Don't worry, Rose. I've had my suspicions about you two for quite some time." Alberta laughed, pointing to the driver's seat. "Although this guy wasn't so sure. Hand over the money, Tiny. We had a deal."_

_The man who was driving was…Stan. He grumbled, reached for his wallet, and threw two twenty dollar bills at her._

"_You call him Tiny?" _

_Alberta nodded, a look of victory passing her face as she stuffed the money into the pocket of her black jeans. "Most of the time. When I'm upset at him, I'll call him Itty Bitty." _

"_Oh, god. Kill me now." I dropped my face into my hands. Dimitri flinched. Yeah, that probably wasn't the best thing to say at a time like this._

"_Are you going to tell on us?" My heart dropped at the thought of Dimitri getting fired and going to jail because of me._

"_No." Stan said. "Our mouths are zipped closed. But I don't think his is." He jabbed a thumb at Dimitri, who was grinning like an idiot._

_The blood drained from my face. "You're not going to tell anyone are you?"_

"_No, not anyone." I immediately felt relieved. "I'm telling everyone."_

"_No, you're not."_

"_Yes, I am."_

_I started shaking my head. Dimitri countered it by nodding._

"_No, no, no, no…you can't."_

"_Yes I can, and I am." He said, cupping my face. "It's not going to be as bad as you think it is. Trust me. I'll take any heat anyone can give me over being with you."_

"_But, but, but, but—"_

_Dimitri silenced me with a kiss._

"How about that shower?" That deep voice brought me out of my reverie.

I nodded eagerly.

"All right," he said. "I'll go start the water."

"Okay." I waited until he left to stand up and walk over to the closet mirror.

I stared at my naked body and wasn't pleased with the reflection. Sure, I was skinny and had a few curves here and there. But the marks I got from that day made me feel nauseous, every time I saw them I relived everything - the pain, the emotional torment, the hopeless look in Lissa's jade-green eyes...

I ran my fingers along the scar on my face, it started at my temple and ended at my jaw. It was a nasty little thing, nearly half an inch wide and it stood out like a sore thumb. I laughed cruelly at the irony. Tasha and I both had scars on our right cheek. That was the only thing we had in common. Well, that and the fact that we both had sex with Dimitri. The thought of them together made bile rise in my throat and I quickly swallowed it back.

There was a tiny scar about the size of my thumb right under my breasts. That one was from Victor and I was glad that it was very faint and nearly unnoticeable.

I stared at the massive white line on my throat. It was hideous. Every time I looked at it, I could feel the blade being pressed into my neck-

"What are you doing?" Dimitri wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Why do you look so sad?"

I ran my fingers along my throat and felt the urge to start crying.

"You are beautiful." he murmured, kissing my neck lovingly. "Absolutely beautiful."

"I'm disgusting."

"Look at me."

"No."

"Rose," he warned. "Look at me."

I reluctantly met his eyes through the reflection of the mirror. He pronounced his next words slowly and meaningfully, "You are beautiful. So goddamn beautiful it takes my breath away."

I smiled sadly as I laid my head on his chest. "I used to be prettier without all these god awful scars."

"They are a part of you, Rose." Dimitri said. "Just think about how Lissa feels."

That immediately made me feel guilty and stupid for pitying myself. The injuries Lissa had sustained were a hell of a lot worse than mine. She'd shown them to me right after we'd left the hospital yesterday and I had to fight to keep from gasping...I knew it would hurt her deeply if I did. Her stomach, lower back, and shoulders were covered in deep red and purplish lines. With her pale skin, it was as if she was a blank canvas and an artist had drawn on her with a knife. Victor had been that artist. Thank god that son of a bitch had been killed - and I didn't carry one ounce of guilt for feeling that way towards him. That bastard deserved what he got and I hoped he went to hell where he belonged.

"I'm sorry about your father."

His eyes flashed and he looked down. "Don't be."

"I killed him, you know that?" I said. "I was the one who did it. Me."

"Yes, I know that."

"Aren't you angry at me?"

"Should I be?"

I growled around my tears. "Yes, you should be. I killed your fucking father for Christ's sake! Be mad at me!"

"I can't be," Dimitri grabbed my hand. His grip only tightened when I tried to yank it away. "I can't be. Especially not at you."

"Why not?" I spun around to face him.

"You are the hero in this situation, Rose. It is a miracle the two of you survived that ordeal." Dimitri didn't seem affected by my outburst at all. "And if you ask why I am not mad at you, I think the answer is obvious. That man took away lives that weren't his for the taking. Just think of the families he's ruined because of what he did. He may be my father, but he is a monster and he deserved everything that came to him."

"But," I shook my head. "You have to miss him. You have to be sad that he's gone."

He shrugged, seeming angry with himself that he had to admit his next words. "He is my father; of course I'm going to miss him. No matter how much I despise the man, I still loved him. His life was sacred. But you did what you had to do, Rose."

"I'm sorry."

"Like I said earlier, don't be. It's the past. Let's get over it and move on."

"Okay," I nodded slowly as I leaned up on my tiptoes. "Under one condition."

He smiled. "And what is that one condition?"

"Kiss me."

Dimitri chuckled and cupped my face. "Anything you want, Roza." His warm, soft lips met mine in a slow and thorough kiss.

I gasped in surprise as his hands gripped my backside and abruptly lifted me off the ground.

"What are you doing?" I giggled.

"Taking you to the shower, of course." Dimitri started walking to the bathroom, his mouth never leaving my neck.

"We can just forget all of this and stay in bed all day." I moaned and threw my head back.

I felt him shake his head.

"Ugh. Fine. Your loss." _And mine, too._ I added silently.

The air inside the bathroom was thick with steam. I breathed in deeply, my lungs felt instantly relieved. I always found that steam worked best for my asthma.

Dimitri peeled back the shower curtain and stepped in. "Come on." He opened his arms.

I wiggled my brows as I jumped into his embrace.

"It doesn't hurt you does it?" He gently traced his fingers along one of my scars.

"No."

"Okay, good." Dimitri nodded, he lifted his arm up and adjusted the showerhead so that it hit my back.

"Is that better?"

"Mhmm." I sighed in approval and closed my eyes. The pressure was amazing in relaxing my aching muscles.

"Are you sore?" I heard Dimitri ask. I kept my eyes closed.

"Will you ever stop worrying so much about me?"

"No."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sore?"

I opened my eyes and gave him a comical look. "Ugh. Yeah, a little. After all, I was up late last night…thanks to a certain someone."

His dark eyes gleamed with amusement. "Do I know that _certain someone_?"

I nodded. "You know him…well."

"Oh, so it's a him?" Dimitri titled my head under the water, poured some green-apple shampoo into his hands, and started massaging pure magic into my scalp. "How well do I know _him_?"

"Very well." I grinned. "He's smart, sexy, has the body of a god. And he rocks my world."

His lips twitched as he helped me rinse the shampoo out of my hair. "Yeah, I think I know who you're talking about."

I playfully smacked his arm. "God, you're hanging around me too much. You've turned all cocky."

"Maybe I am. You tend to leave quite the impression on people."

I flipped him around so that the water was hitting his body. My gaze went down his throat, over his shoulders, and down his chest and stomach. His tan skin was glistening.

I licked my lips hungrily.

I watched his Adams apple convulse as he swallowed hard. "You must not do that."

"Do what?" I ran my hands along his eight pack.

Dimitri hissed. "That."

"Oh, you don't like it?" My voice was sweet and innocent. I leaned down slightly. "You want me to stop?" My eyes met his as I started to press my lips against his hard flesh.

He caught my hands and pulled up. He gave me a quick, hard kiss. "Not now. We'll do that later." Dimitri growled.

I hid my victorious smile by turning around and pressing my back to his chest. "Whatever you say, but your body is telling me otherwise. You want me. Right now."

Dimitri spun me around so quickly I felt dizzy. "God, I am so hopelessly in love with you."

My Russian god continued on where I left off.

We emerged from the shower an hour later, grinning like fools.

"Here." Dimitri slowly and teasingly draped his black robe over my shoulders. The fabric was silk and smelled of aftershave and his natural masculine scent. I never wanted to take it off.

He wrapped a towel around his waist. I bit my lip. God, would I _ever _stop wanting him? I just couldn't get enough. I was addicted. Once you got a little, you always wanted more and more and more and more…

Dimitri opened the door. "I'm going to get dressed. I've washed your jeans, they are folded on top of the dryer."

"Thanks." I gave him a quick kiss and sauntered off.

When I got to the living room, I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Damn, Rose. You've got a set of lungs on you." Christian said.

"Yeah, you ever thought of being a singer?" Adrian chimed in.

"Boys," Lissa smacked the back of their heads. "Be nice."

"Did you guys hear anything? Or did the shower drowned out the sound?" I grimaced.

"We heard everything."

My cheeks felt on fire. I glanced down at the floor. "Uh, uh…I-I th-"

"Cat got your tongue, Rose?" Christian smirked.

"No, I think it's more like Dimitri's got her tongue." Adrian said.

The two of them busted up laughing while Lissa just shook her head and gave me an apologetic smile.

"Oh, that was good." Christian gave Adrian a hard pat on the back before settling back into the couch.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked. "And how did you get in?"

"The door was unlocked." Lissa explained. "Dimitri told us to be here at Twelve. We didn't mean to interrupt or intrude."

I shook my head and glanced at the clock. "No, it's fine. It's our fault. I guess we just lost track of time."

"I could imagine." Christian said. Adrian snickered.

Dimitri strode into the living room, wearing a black sweater and dark jeans. He offered a polite smile and nodded, his gaze lingering on Lissa for a moment. She smiled.

Adrian and Christian roared with laughter the instant Dimitri glanced at them.

"Stop it!" The blush came back with vengeance now that my boyfriend was in the room.

He gave them a strange look. He glanced over at me. "Is everything okay?"

I pointed to the bathroom. "No."

Dimitri's head snapped back and forth a few times, then realization settled in his eyes. "Oh, I see."

"Yep."

The air filled with awkward tension.

"Well," Lissa shattered the silence by clapping and smiling brightly. "We just wanted to come by and say hi and wish you two a merry Christmas."

"I think they've already had enough _merry _for one day, you know what I'm saying?" Adrian mumbled. The two hyenas fell into a fit of laughter.

Lissa elbowed Christian, "Shut up!" Her lips twitched and I could tell she was having a hard time not laughing.

"Well, we love you and we left your gifts under the tree." Lissa came up and pulled Dimitri and I into fierce hugs. I could tell he was stunned at first—not many people ran up and pulled the general into a hug very often—but after a few rigid moments, he wrapped his arms around her petite body and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Don't be feeling him up now, Liss." I teased, giving a wink. "He's mine."

She pulled back and rolled her jade-green eyes disdainfully.

"We love you, too." I gave her one more hug.

"Thank you, Lissa." Dimitri smiled kindly.

Lissa and Christian walked hand in hand to the front door, while Adrian hung around the Christmas tree, studying it.

"What the hell is this? Coal?" He picked off a piece of burnt popcorn from the garland. "Isn't Santa supposed to put this in the stockings of naughty little boys and girls? Not on the Christmas tree."

"Hey! I worked hard on those." I marched over and smacked his hand away. "No touchy! And no, it's not Coal, it's…popcorn and cranberry garland."

Adrian laughed in my face. "Seriously?"

"Alright, it's Christmas and I'm feeling a little jolly, so I'm going to spare you and not punch you square in the mouth." I said through gritted teeth. "Now get out. You've warn out your welcome."

"What if I don't want to go?"

"Dimitriiiiiiiii." I whined, dragging my feet. "Make him leave."

Dimitri looked at Adrian. He cocked his head to the side, brown eyes challenging.

Adrian gulped and put his hands up. "Alright, alright. I'm out."

The three of them stood on the front porch of Dimitri's apartment.

"Bye guys! Love you! Merry Christmas!" Lissa shouted, waving enthusiastically.

"Love you too!" I said. Dimitri came up and draped an arm around my waist. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Dimitri offered a smile and nodded.

"Merry Christmas, Rose." Christian said.

"Yeah. Merry Christmas, Little Cadet."

"Bye."

"Bye!" I shut and locked the door.

"Now I've got you all alone." Dimitri whispered, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck.

My eyes snapped to what was under the Christmas tree. "Presents!" I shoved Dimitri away and ran over to grab the biggest one that was wrapped in gold.

I heard his rich chuckle. "You're supposed to open the small ones first, then the big ones. That's how it works."

"Not in this home."

"Since when did you make the rules of _my _apartment?" Dimitri asked, sipping on his hot cocoa as he looked at me with playful eyes.

"Since…I don't know. Forever." I tore open the package and frowned. It was a big box. The tag on the front said it was from Lissa and Christian. In horribly, crooked handwriting that I knew belonged to Pyro, the note read:

_Hey Psycho,_

_The present was Lissa's idea. I just did the wrapping. Enjoy.  
_

_-C_

"He's not a man of many words." I muttered under my breath.

"Here." Dimitri handed me a pair of scissors. "Don't hurt yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "And don't treat me like a child."

I stabbed the tape and eagerly opened the brown flaps to find…another box. It was just a tiny bit smaller than the first one. I pulled it out and gave Dimitri a puzzled look. He simply shrugged.

I cut open that box to find another box. I growled. "What the hell?"

I continued to open box after box until the sizes went down and down. The one inside my hand was the size of a chocolate bar. I shook it. "I think this is the one!"

Dimitri chuckled and shook his head. "And now our apartment is full of boxes. Christian must have gone through a lot of trouble putting your present together."

My heart skipped a beat when he said _'our apartment.' _ "Hey, Comrade?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

He smiled breathtakingly. "I love you too, Roza."

I cut open the next box and squealed. "Ohmigod! It's the charm bracelet!"

I jumped up and down. "Put it on me! Put it on me!" I ran over to Dimitri. "Ohmigod. I've always wanted this since like…two months ago."

He arched an eyebrow as he took the bracelet from me and studied it. "I can see why you'd want it so bad. It's beautiful."

The bracelet was gold with a whole bunch of charms on it. I'd seen it at the mall when Lissa and I had gone dress shopping and went nuts for it. I knew that she had put so much time into it.

Each charm meant something. There was a rose, a cowboy hat, a dragon, a flame, and an eye.

"That one symbolizes me." I said proudly, pointing to the rose.

"Obviously." Dimitri chuckled as he locked it around my wrist.

"And that's you. My big and tall cowboy." I touched the hat.

"Let me guess, this is for Lissa?" He ran his thumb along the dragon charm.

I nodded. "And the flame is for Christian clearly. Probably because he's such a hothead."

"If that were the case, then you could claim both the rose and the fire, Roza."

I smacked his arm. "I'm not a hothead!"

He arched a brow.

"Okay, okay. Maybe I am sometimes…"

"Sometimes?"

I pointedly ignored him. "I wonder what the eye is for."

"Adrian."

My brows drew together in confusion. "Why would it be for him? I don't get it."

"Because of his dreams and the ability he carries to foresee the future."

"Cool." I bobbed my head approvingly. "Okay, next present!"

"You have a remarkable attention span." Dimitri said dryly.

"Thanks." I ripped into the shiny red and green wrapping paper, and groaned. "It's a t-shirt! A goddamn t-shirt! Adrian could have done so much better."

"Have you even looked at it? Unfold it and see it."

I shook the black t-shirt, held it up in the air, and laughed. In bold, hot pink letters, the t-shirt read:

_I'm a cold hard bitch,_

_And I'm damn good at it._

"Do you think anyone will get offended if I wear this to class?"

The tight pinch on his face told me he was displeased with Adrian and didn't find the gift amusing in the slightest. "No. I forbid you from wearing that."

I narrowed my eyes. "Shut up. Don't tell me what to do." I paused when Dimitri's eyes flashed with anger. "I'm only going to wear it to bed. That's all."

"Good." The bastard seemed satisfied.

"Well, that's it." I shrugged, picking the wrapping paper from the floor and tossing it in the garbage. "The fun is over."

"No, I think there's one more."

I grinned. "What?"

Dimitri walked over and slipped a small, black velvet box into my hand. "Open it."

"This isn't what I think it is, is it?" I swallowed hard. "Because you know that I love you, but, uh, I don't know if I'm ready yet—"

"Just open it."

I did.

"Ohmigod, it's beautiful." I gently picked up the gold chain. The emerald pendant was the size of a nickel and was surrounded by tiny diamonds. I twisted it back and forth and watched as the jewel sparkled in the light. "Did you know emerald was my birthstone?"

"Maybe," Dimitri smiled as he took the necklace from my hands. "Come here." He pulled me in front of the mirror and pushed my damp hair to one side. He placed a delicate kiss to the nape of my neck before locking the necklace in place.

I stared at our reflection. I know it sounded silly, but I felt like a princess with that emerald necklace on—especially with my prince standing next to me, with his arms around my body.

"So beautiful," he murmured against the skin of my shoulder. "So goddamn beautiful."

I blushed, a little. I wasn't used to all of the attention but I loved it. "Thank you. Where did you get it?" I turned in his arms so that I could face him.

"My mother. It was Olena's. She put it in my hand right before I boarded the plane to move to America. She made me promise her that I would one day give it to the woman I loved."

"And I am that woman?" I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You wouldn't be wearing that necklace if you weren't." Dimitri gave me the most tender, loving kiss. "Merry Christmas, Roza."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

A loud knock at the door made me jump. Dimitri, looking angry that we'd been interrupted, walked over and flung it open.

"Hey, Alberta. Is something wrong?" he asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Nothing's wrong, General." I stifled my laugh. That voice. Her voice. She was so fucking with him to piss him off. "First of all, Merry Christmas—"

"Merry Christmas." He spoke in a clipped tone. He might as well have screamed _go the fuck away!_

"Second, I have an urgent letter for Rose."

"Urgent?" I ran to the door.

Alberta's eyes traveled up and down the robe I was wearing. She laughed and nodded. "Nice. I can see that you two are having a very Merry Christmas."

I laughed with her as Dimitri shook his head in disbelief. "Cows."

"Hey!" I smacked the back of his head. "Watch your mouth."

"Thanks, Rose." Alberta smoothed out her jacket. "I was about to do that myself."

Dimitri smiled a little and rolled his eyes.

Alberta handed me an envelope. I tore into it immediately.

_Dear Rosemarie,_

_Your father and I are terribly sorry we weren't able to make it. The two of us were very excited to finally see you, but at the last moment, your father had been called back to Turkey for his business. We hope that you are enjoying your new school and adjusting well. Merry Christmas. See you at graduation!_

_Sincerely,_

_Janine Hathaway _

"She's not coming." I angrily wiped a traitor tear away. "I don't even think she heard about the murders. Wow. Now that's a mom."

Sadness filled Alberta's eyes. "I'm sorry, Rose."

Dimitri pulled me into his side. I took instant comfort from his strong presence.

"Thanks, Alberta." I forced a smile. "Now you get on home and enjoy yourself. No more working."

"Okay, okay." She lifted her hands in surrender as she started backing away. "I promise I won't. You two take care and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Dimitri and I said in unison.

He closed the door and turned to me with a wicked look on his face. "Go put on my present. Now."

I started backing away, a spike of fear and desire running through my body, causing me to shiver. "What if I don't want to?"

"Then I'll make you." Dimitri's voice was so deep and distorted that I barely recognized it as his. The heat in my body kicked up a notch.

I ran in the opposite direction. My feet zoomed through the living room, my legs a blur. When I heard the pounding of his leather boots against the hardwood floor just a few feet behind me, I pushed my body to go faster.

I had almost made it to the bedroom when Dimitri grabbed me by the hair and arm, sending me flying forwards. He turned his large body just in time so it absorbed my fall.

I rested my head against his chest and laughed breathlessly. "That was fun."

"Are you going to put my present on?"

"I don't know…"

Dimitri slid the black silk off my shoulders, exposing my chest. The fabric fell into a pool at our waists.

His gaze turned hungry and carnal. "Put it on." he hissed.

I nodded and swallowed hard. "Okay, okay. I-I-I…yeah, I'll put it on. Now." It was a wonder I could form a complete thought, let alone complete sentences.

As I stood up, Dimitri held onto the tie at my waist. It loosened and the robe fell to the ground. I was now completely exposed to him.

I usually would have been embarrassed to be naked in front of anyone, but it was different with Dimitri. The way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world made me feel confident, sexy, worthy. It was exhilarating.

He clenched his jaw. "Hurry up. Go. Now."

I grabbed the bag and ran to the bathroom to put on his present, a leather cowgirl costume.

Apparently, that was Dimitri's fetish.

**APOV: **

I dialed Sydney's number. She answered on the fourth ring.

At the sound of her soft voice, my body and mind relaxed. "Hey, baby." I laid down on my bed and propped my head on a pillow. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. When are you coming to visit me?" Sydney groaned. "It's so boring here in Greece without you. Not to mention it's raining."

"Go to your window and open your jewelry box."

"Huh? Why?" She asked. I heard the shift in the background as she stood up and started walking. "Is something wrong?"

"Just look inside for me, okay? I think I forgot something the last time I was there."

"Okay." I heard the soft hiss of her shuffling things around. "I don't see anything—wait. What the hell is this?"

I grinned.

Bingo.

"Oh, my god!" Sydney screamed so loudly I had to hold the phone away from my ear.

"I take it that you like what you see?"

"HOLY SHIT!" I brought the phone back again. "Is…is this what I think it is?"

"Sydney Sage, will you make me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife?"

"YES! Yes! Yes! Yes! A million times over, yes!"

I laughed in relief and pure joy. "Merry Christmas, baby."

I heard her soft sobs. "Merry Christmas, Adrian."

**LPOV:**

I stared at my naked body in the reflection of the bathroom mirror as the tears streamed down my face. Staples and scars glared back at me. Each time I looked at them, they took my breath away. It was something that I would never get used to. Slowly, I ran two fingertips along the worst scar, it was smooth and bumpy. I jerked, remembering uncle victor—no, Victor. Just Victor—pressing that scalpel into my skin, cutting flesh an muscles, ripping out my organs. I could still feel everything. The memories haunted my every thought and invaded my dreams. I sobbed loudly and dropped to my knees, feeling completely hollow.

God, I looked like Frankenstein.

I don't know how long I laid there against the freezing tile, crying what heart I had left out, when a brilliant idea popped into my brain.

Dragging myself to the cabinets, I grabbed the razor that was hidden under the cough medicine.

Bringing it to my wrist, I pictured Victor's monstrous green eyes as he operated on me—my most agonizing memory of that day. I dragged the razor across my wrist, gasping and biting my lip in wonder. I loved the way it seared my skin, the way it hit my bone. It was euphoric. An escape. Something that helped ease some of the emotional torment.

I ignored the loud and urgent bangs at the door, I was in my own world of ignorance and bliss.

I laughed as I watched crimson red liquid—my blood—drip onto the floor. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip...

It was fascinating.

Suddenly, I was yanked from the quiet buzz as my body jerked.

"God fucking dammit, what the hell did you do, Lissa?" Christian shouted, shaking my body violently. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! What the fuck!"

He grabbed a clean washcloth from under the sink and started wiping my hands and wrists. I glanced down. He didn't seem to care that he was kneeling in my puddle of blood, getting it all over his shoes and pants.

I laughed.

He grabbed the razor.

I screamed. "Get away from me! Get away from me!" I fought to get the razor back, kicking and clawing at his face.

"Stop." Christian threw it in the hallway, far out of my reach. I continued to scream and fight until he slammed my naked body against the tile and laid on top of me, pushing the air out of my lungs, immobilizing me.

"Leave me alone!" I growled like a wild animal. "I hate you."

"Stop it, Lissa please! Fuck. This isn't you."

I closed my eyes and listened to his voice, taking comfort from it, relishing in the familiarity of it. He sounded like home.

"Say my name again." I whispered, my throat burning from all the screaming I'd done.

"Lissa." he croaked. "Lissa."

"Again."

"Lissa." I felt his fingertips brush along my cheek.

My eyes snapped open, I stared into the most beautiful, anguished, ice-blue eyes. That's when I realized he was crying, too.

"Oh, god!" I threw my arms around his neck and bawled like a baby. The sobs racking through my body were viscous and unrelenting, they consumed me. "Christian. Oh, god...Christan. I'm so sorry!"

He sat up and pulled me with him, holding me tightly, cradling me in his lap and stuffing his face into the crook of my neck, like he couldn't get enough of me. The feeling was mutual.

He was my sun, my strength, my heart, and a part of my soul. I couldn't imagine being without him. I needed him like the air I breathed.

"I'm going to help you get better." Christian whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I swear to god if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to heal you, baby."

I believed him.

He was the reason I was going to keep fighting to claim my life back.

* * *

**A/N:** I've decided to prolong this story for about ten chapters or so. The end is_** NOT**_ near! ;-) More drama to come...**  
**


	19. Chapter 19: Saving me

**A/N:** You guys asked for it (a lemon), and you got it! ;-) Enjoy!

-Breanna

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

**RPOV:**

"Holy shit. I can't mooooovvvveeeeee." I groaned, trying to sit up in bed. Every muscle in my body burned like I was bathing in hot candle wax.

Dimitri grinned amusedly as he watched my failing attempts.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't look so smug. You cocky bastard."

"Is this better?" He gave me an innocent look and an angelic smile.

I reached over and hit the back of his head. "Owwww!" I screamed, holding the arm I just swung. "Damn muscles. Hurt like a bitch."

"That's why you shouldn't try to hit me." Dimitri hopped off the bed and pulled on his black briefs.

I sighed in approval. "Ah, you look great in briefs. I have always been a fan of boxers…but you…you've made briefs my number one favorite. Not only do they show off your delightful ass and marvelous legs, but they hold your package in place and make it look just…_great_."

"It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into that."

"I have. By the way, you're welcome for the compliment."

"Thank you." Dimitri rolled his eyes. "I'm going to start the bath for you."

"Are you taking one with me?"

"No."

"Then I don't want to take one."

"You have to."

"Why?"

"Because it will help your sore muscles." Dimitri's tone was stern, giving no room for argument.

"Fine. Bring me food first, though."

"Ever since you've moved in, you've gotten rather demanding."

"I love you, Dimitri." I said sweetly.

He rolled his eyes again and walked out of the room. "I love you, too." I heard the smile and fondness in his voice.

About fifteen minutes later, the apartment filled with wonderful smells. Unable to help myself and too impatient to wait any longer, I found Dimitri's black shirt on the floor and slipped it on. It felt like I was wearing a parachute and the fabric fell to my knees, but it smelled so good, like his aftershave. I took a moment to close my eyes and inhale a few times before slowly and painfully waddling over to the kitchen.

"Ow…ow…ow…ow." I said with each step, walking like a penguin.

Dimitri stood by the stove, he turned around and his eyes searched my body. "You look beautiful in my clothes."

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him from behind and laid my face against his naked back. "Whatcha' cooking good lookin?"

"Bacon, cheese and eggs, and toast." Dimitri flipped some crackling bacon with a metal spatula.

"Mmmmmhmmmm." I sighed in approval. "You are amazing."

Since I was attached to him from behind and wasn't planning to let go anytime soon, together we awkwardly walked over to the refrigerator.

He poured me a glass of orange juice. "Drink. Now." He handed it to me.

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes at his bossiness, I downed half of it. Apparently, I was parched—probably from all the exertion my body had been put through last night.

"How are your muscles feeling?" Dimitri gripped my shoulders and started moving his fingers in circles, massaging.

"Better now that I'm up and moving around." I dropped my head and moaned. "God, that feels so good."

I whined when he dropped his hands. "Come back!"

"Do you want your food to burn?" Dimitri stirred the scrambled eggs and sprinkled them with shredded cheese.

I took a seat at the table and watched his back muscles ripple with each movement he made. I sighed dreamily. That entire six-foot-seven Russian god was mine. All mine.

Moments later, he grabbed a plate out of the cupboard and started piling it high with food.

He set it down in front of me and leaned against the counter, sipping his hot cocoa, watching me. "Eat."

I grabbed my fork. "Gee, you could feed a small army…do you actually think I can eat all of this?"

Dimitri arched a brow.

"I'll try…but I don't know."

"You've got a big appetite. You'll be fine, trust me."

"Is that sarcasm I hear, Comrade? Not so crazy about your tone." I speared a scrambled egg and shoved it into my mouth. It was wonderful and fluffy and cheesy. Just the way I liked it.

"Oh, my god. This is good." I mumbled. "So damn goooood!"

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to talk with your mouth full?"

"Depends on what's filling it." I winked.

Dimitri swallowed and averted his eyes.

I grabbed a triangle of toast, lathered tons of butter on it, and practically swallowed it whole.

I grabbed a piece of bacon and bit into the salty, crispy goodness. "Come here," I beckoned Dimitri over, grabbed his hand, and smiled. "You are such a good cook. My baby is such a good cook."

"It seems like you're enjoying your breakfast. Food really does make you happy."

"It's one of the three things I live for." I grinned. "Food. Making love. And my Russian god."

He smiled. "I rank in at number three?"

"Of course."

About thirty minutes later, after I'd cleared three plates and downed half the jug of orange juice, Dimitri was helping me get ready for my Epsom salt bath, which was supposed to help relax and soothe my sore muscles.

Dimitri pulled his shirt over my head. I groaned and grabbed my stomach. "I feel like I'm going to explode."

"That's what happens when you eat a dozen eggs, a whole package of bacon, and five pieces of toast."

"It hurts. Damn you for making such good chow."

He smiled as he leaned over the bath and shut the faucet off. "I love making you food."

"And I love to eat. So I believe that makes us a perfect pair." I hooked my arms around his neck and rested my head against his shoulder. "Aren't you sore from last night too?"

"No."

"A tiny bit?"

"No."

"An itty bitty bit?"

Dimitri's chest rumbled as he laughed. "Your muscles are not as developed as mine are. I've been in the military my whole life and I am used to strenuous activities…" His fingers ran up and down my spine, and lightly squeezed my bottom. "Your body will grow stronger and get used to it over time. But I will admit…I am _an itty bitty bit_ sore…"

I pulled back. "You are?"

"Yes. But it's hardly noticeable."

"Where?"

His nostrils flared and his eyebrows pulled together. "It _certain_ sensitive areas…"

I grinned victoriously and nodded. "Cool."

"Cool?"

"I meant like, oh that's cool…I did a real number on him. I rode that cowboy hard."

"Get in the bath."

* * *

**CPOV:**

"You ready to go, babe?"

"Yeah." Lissa smiled, but I could tell it was forced.

"Tell me what is wrong."

"Nothing." Her gaze flickered down to her silk peach blouse, she took time to pull it down and smooth it out properly.

"Don't lie to me." I tilted her face up and stared into those smoldering jade-green eyes. My chest constricted at how sad they were. Lissa put on a good facade, she fooled everyone into believing that she was happy, that she was okay, but I knew better. I knew her better than she knew herself.

Tears surfaced in her eyes, making them glossy. "I had that nightmare again…"

I pulled her into my chest, needing to protect her, and wrapped my arms around her petite body. I clenched my teeth, hating how tiny she felt. She'd lost so much weight. It was almost like she was disappearing, getting further and further away from me…

"I'll keep you safe, baby. I swear to god. Do you want to tell me about it?" I asked.

Lissa shook her head and sobbed softly. "Not now. Maybe later…"

"Okay, take as long as you need." I kissed her forehead. "I'll be here to listen. Always."

There were a few moments of silence.

"I miss him. Sometimes." Lissa whispered. I knew exactly who she was talking about. "It's like I can't get him out of my mind. He's always in the back of my brain, lurking as a constant reminder."

"He was your family. He was your uncle. It's natural to miss him."

"Why can't I stop loving him then?" She fisted my shirt. "The man nearly killed me!"

I ran my fingers through her sunshine hair. "Victor is someone you'll never forget, someone you'll love no matter what. He is your blood. That is why."

"I wish I could forget him." Lissa pulled back and met my eyes. "I wish I could forget everything that happened. I wish I could forget that day, forget the blood, the pain, and all of these scars."

No words could express the sorrow I felt in that moment for her, or how much I wish I could take the pain that she was feeling inside away, or how angry I was for not being there to save her, or how much I loved her and how thankful I was that she came into my life.

Sometimes you didn't need meaningless words to fill the air; you needed your actions to speak for themselves. I held her tighter and kissed her sweet, pink-glossed lips. When I pulled back, I stared into her beautiful green eyes. "You are beautiful. These scars…" I slid my hand under her blouse and felt her warm skin. "They are a part of you. They're something you'll have to live with for the rest of your life. You have to get used it, baby." I rubbed my thumb along one of them, the pink flesh was smooth.

Lissa frowned. "But they're so disgusting. I feel so ugly…so gross. I want to claw them off."

I claimed her mouth with mine. "Even though I am aware that you will never know the magnitude of which I mean these words, I'm going to say them anyways. You are extraordinary."

She smiled a little, and I was so happy to see her cheeks flood scarlet. It was so like her and I couldn't get enough of it. There was an angel in her eyes, and I loved that side…but when that devil came out, that just drove me wild.

"You could show me how extraordinary I am…" Lissa pressed her hands against my chest.

I gulped as the blood shot straight to my groin area. "No."

"No?" She pouted, sticking her bottom lip out. God, that woman knew she had me wrapped around her finger. "But I want you to make love to me. Why are you denying me of this pleasure?"

I grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. "Because you have an appointment with the therapist."

"Forget the therapist," She shook her head. "I can miss one visit. It'll be okay."

"You're not ready for that type of contact yet…your body needs more time to heal."

Anger flared in her green eyes, morphing them into two emerald jewels. "I'm not made out of glass, Christian! I'm strong, just look at what I've survived! Please don't treat me like this, like I'm a different person. I want us to be the way we used to be…"

I pursed my lips. I was on the verge of breaking at any moment. The idea of her soft skin under mine was too tempting.

"My body is fine. It's healed. It's been so long since we've been together…" She fisted her hands in my shirt. "Make love to me, Christian."

I smirked. "I like when you plead." Our mouths met and mingled with one another, getting familiar.

When she moaned, it was the most wonderful sound in the world, like birds chirping in the morning. I wanted to hear that sound again.

As the clothes came off and I laid her down on the bed, I met her eyes. "I'm going to show you how beautiful you are."

* * *

**DPOV:**

Roza smiled as I wrapped my robe around her. "I cannot believe you just bathed me like a baby."

I grinned inwardly in satisfaction. "You seemed to enjoy it at the time."

"What girl wouldn't love your hands all over them?"

"Beats me."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't need your sarcasm or your arrogantness. I've got plenty of my own."

"_Arrogantness_ isn't a word."

Roza snorted. "Yeah, it is! Just look it up in the dictionary!"

It was my turn to roll my eyes. I grabbed a towel off the rack and started drying her hair.

"You take such good care of me," Her face suddenly grew solemn. "I don't deserve you."

My brows pulled together. "You could not be more wrong about that."

"Really?" she asked. "You think?"

"No." I grabbed my brush out of the drawer and started running it through her long locks. "I know."

Roza turned around to face me. "And how can you be so sure about that, General Belikov?"

I groaned. "Don't call me that."

She smiled devilishly. "Why not?"

******Start of M rated scene******

I slid my hand under the robe and brushed my fingertips over the sensitive flesh of her breasts. "Because it can have certain consequences that you may not be ready for..."

She gasped and shut her eyes tightly. "For what you've put me through the past week, I believe I'm ready for anything."

"Is that a challenge, Roza?"

The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. "I don't know, Comrade, are you man enough to accept it?"

I roughly gripped the back of her thighs, lifted her off the ground, and pressed her against the wall. I rubbed my hips against hers, making sure she knew the extent of my arousal.

"I take that as a YESSSSSS!" Her body jolted, as if she had been shocked. Roza moaned loudly, digging her nails into my shoulders. I loved the little bursts of pain because that meant she was as hungry as I was.

"Bedroom. Now." she commanded breathlessly.

She wrapped her legs around my waist as I gripped her bottom and sprinted into our bedroom.

I fell onto the bed, being careful to cradle her small body so that she wouldn't be harmed in the impact. Our mouths attacked one another in a savage manner, tongues dancing, lips crushed together. I knew Roza's mouth was going to be swollen tomorrow, probably even bruised, but in that moment, I didn't care. It meant that she was loving this as much as I was.

The two of us were breathing hard when I pulled away. "Are you okay?"

Roza looked a little dazed. She bobbed her head up and down. "I'm fine."

I leaned up and got on my knees above her. I pulled on the tie of the robe, the fabric fell into a silk pool around her, revealing her naked body to me. My eyes feasted upon the sight.

Her perfect feet, slender legs, flat stomach. "Move your hair, baby. I want to see all of you."

Roza sat up slightly, letting her hair fall behind her, before laying down and watching me. I gazed at the two caramel swells and rosy peaks. "My god, you are beautiful..."

I planted my fists on each side of her and leaned down to her face. As we kissed, Roza hooked her toes into my briefs and pulled them down to my knees, I kicked them off to the floor.

Vulnerability and uncertainty flashed in her brown eyes, she bit her lip. "I-I...I wanna try something."

Before I could respond, she reached down and wrapped her hand around me. I hissed.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Roza quickly pulled away, like she had committed some horrible crime.

"No. Don't stop." I grabbed her arm and directed her between us. I pressed her to my arousal. "Please...keep doing it."

Roza stared up into my eyes as she began to stroke me. I gritted my teeth and dropped my face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar scent of vanilla cookies. It was heaven.

"Do you like this?" Her voice was husky and rough like gravel. I nodded, my face still stuffed in her hair. "Am I doing it right?"

"Just go a little bit faster-_ah_, yes, just like that." I groaned. "Oh, Roza. Just like that. You're perfect."

Moments later, when I was on the brink of reaching my release, I pulled away from her and got on my knees.

"Where are you going?" Hurt and rejection was evident in her voice. "I thought you were liking it..."

"I was."

"Then come back to me..."

I shook my head, scooting down the bed. "I have to love your body first."

Roza craned her neck to one side, watching me. "I love you, Dimitri."

"I love you." I gently pulled her thighs apart, revealing the most sensitive and fragile part of her body. "Beautiful..." I murmured, cupping her heat. "Beautiful."

My forearms hooked behind her calves, I lowered my head. I stared into those beautiful pools of dark chocolate as I pulled her soft pink flesh into my mouth. I brought her to her release over and over and over again.

The sight and feel and the taste weren't the only beautiful things about it, it was the fact that Roza would give her body to me, leave herself vulnerable, and trust me with caring for the most sensitive part of her. That alone was mesmerizing.

I climbed up her body and kissed her long and thoroughly. She licked her lips and blinked in surprise. "What is that taste?"

I smiled. "You."

Unable to control myself any longer, I pressed my body into hers, making us one. We moaned in unison. "Oh, Roza..." I started moving my body with hers, sliding my skin against hers, steadily rolling my hips.

"Fuck Dimitri." She moaned and threw her head back, the most beautiful sound and sight in the world.

I attached my mouth to her neck, paying special attention to her scar, making sure she knew that I wasn't bothered by it. The scar was beautiful to me. A reminder. A part of her.

Minutes later, my body was close to climaxing. By the way Roza was screaming and raking her nails up and down my back, she was close to pure ecstasy too.

I wrapped my arms around her as my pace became more erratic, she arched her back. "Oh, Dimitri! I-I-I..."

"Come undone with me, Roza. Let your body go." I cursed in Russian as my body ached to release, but I was holding myself back, I had to see her first.

"Keep your eyes open." I growled. "Don't close them. Keep them open. Look at me."

Roza screamed out my name as she reached her peak. Her small body convulsed and squirmed as she lay underneath me, riding out the waves of her orgasm. I stared in her eyes, watching the swirl of emotions pass through them...wonder, ecstasy, passion, exhaustion, and love...

That was all it took for me to go over the edge.

******End of M rated scene******

"I guess I'm going to need another bath..." Roza croaked.

I laughed and rolled off of her. I quickly pulled her into my side, not wanting to be away from her. "That's fine. We can always take one together." I tucked some hair that was sticking to her damp forehead behind her ear.

"I like the sound of that, General." Roza draped her arm over my stomach and yawned. "But right now...all I want to do is sleep." She closed her eyes.

I kissed her cheek and rested my own eyes, exhaustion overtook me. I whispered Russian into her ear as we both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Two days later...**

**RPOV:**

"Durak!" I screamed victoriously. "You're a Durak! You're a Durak! I should start calling you Douche-bag Dimitri, cause that's what you are." I laughed in his face. "LOSERRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"Roza," Dimitri's mouth twisted into an amused smirk. He glanced down at my hands. "You're the one with the cards. All of mine are gone."

"Exactly!" I showboated my cards. "You are a fool, General Belikov. Don't ever get in a game with Hathaway...you always gonna loose!"

"You lost."

"I won."

"The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards, Rose. At the end of the game, the last player with cards in their hand is referred to as the fool...or the Durak."

I frowned. "Oh..."

"Yep."

I tired to keep the embarrassment and shame out of my voice. "So I guess I didn't listen to you very well when you explained the directions, huh? I thought the more cards you get...just never mind."

"Don't feel so bad," Dimitri grinned as he picked up the cards. "This is _my_ game. Nobody can beat me."

I rolled my eyes. "Stupid Russian games." I muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Dimitri pulled an envelope out of his duster and threw it down on the table.

"What is that?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged and walked over to the kitchen. "Why don't you have a look?" He opened up the fridge and pulled out a water bottle.

I picked it up and opened it. Inside, there was a small blue folder with an eagle on it. "A passport?" My brows knitted together in confusion. My eyes widened. "Oh god. You're being deported?"

Dimitri actually chocked on his water and sprayed it everywhere. "Deported?" he laughed and shook his head. "Just open it."

I did.

There was a smiling picture of me with the words _United States of America _printed in bold. There were all sorts of information, like my full name, date of birth, where I was born...

"You got me a passport?" I was even more confused than I had been earlier.

He grinned. "Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Because it's winter break. You have time off school. I have time off work."

"Okay..."

"And because I wanted to surprise you."

"Mission accomplished."

"And because," Dimitri set the water bottle down and came over to me. "You're going to meet my family."

I punched his chest. "Get out of town!"

"I'm serious. I've already talked to the school and bought our tickets."

I smacked his arm. "Shut up!" I grinned so widely I thought my face would crack. "You did not!"

"I did." He wrapped his arms around me.

"So we're going to Russia?"

"Yes, Roza," Dimitri gave me a tender kiss. "We're going to Russia tomorrow. Pack your bags."

* * *

**As always, I'd love to hear what you think! :-)**


	20. Chapter 20: Russia

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

The planed bumped as we touched down in Russia. I squeezed Dimitri's hand so tightly I thought his bones would shatter.

He glanced over at me and smiled. "We're here." He pressed his lips to mine.

"Boy, you are just a happy camper today, ain't ya?"

"Of course I am. I'm going to see my family." Dimitri slung his carryon bag over his shoulder, grabbed my purse, and helped me out of my seat. "Roza, you're shaking. What is wrong?"

I hooked my arm through his as we started walking down the aisle, towards the exit. "Just nerves, that's all."

I didn't look up, but I had a feeling he was smiling in amusement. "You're nervous? Rosemarie Hathaway…_nervous_?" I punched him in the arm, earning a dirty look from the stewardess.

"Yes," I said. "I am nervous."

"About what, baby?"

"I love when you call me that." We stepped out of the plane and made our way down the stairs.

"Don't try to change the subject."

"What if they don't like me?"

Dimitri outright laughed.

I narrowed my gaze at him. "What's so funny?"

"You're afraid my family will not approve of you? That's funny."

Dimitri and I went across the jet bridge and into the terminal area.

"And why is that funny?" I would be angry at Dimitri if I didn't have to pee so badly.

My Russian God started to talk, but I cut him off. "Hold that thought. Where's the restroom?"

He pointed to a sign. "Right there."

"Thanks." I gave him a chaste kiss and tore off.

Minutes later, I found Dimitri standing outside the restrooms, leaning against the wall, holding two paper cups of coffee. "Feel better?" His smile made my body heat up.

I gulped. "Yeah."

"Here, drink this." He handed me a cup as he took a sip of his. "You'll need it if you want to stay awake during the drive."

"Thanks. Okay…" I looked around the airport. There was a sea of people, elevators, shops, and big signs and arrows. After our fifteen hour flight, it was a little nauseating. "Where do we go next, General?"

"Baggage claim and then rent-a-car." Dimitri grabbed my hand.

* * *

"Couldn't we get anything cooler than a Honda?" I frowned at the red car.

"Roza," Dimitri warned, putting our luggage into the trunk. "Don't start, please. This is a three hour drive. And frankly, I don't have the patience."

Once he closed the trunk, I walked over and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry."

The hard lines in Dimitri's face faded as I ran my fingers through his shoulder-length brown hair. "It's okay," He placed his hands on my hips. I noticed that his body tremendously relaxed in my arms.

"I know that you're tired. You didn't sleep at all on the plane." I said. He laid his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes. "I shouldn't fight with you."

Dimitri kissed my neck. "You are extraordinary. You know that? Absolutely amazing." This made me smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you." he murmured.

I craned my neck to the left, and pressed my mouth to his. "I love you, Dimitri."

"I love you."

A loud honk made him jump. He stood up straight and yawned. "Well, we better get going."

I grabbed his arm. "Let me drive."

He automatically shook his head. "No."

"Pleaseeeeeeeeeee Dimitriiiiiiiiiiiiiii." I stuck my bottom lip out, made my eyes water. Oh, he had to break.

"No."

"Maybe you need a little motivation and persuasion…" I pulled down one side of my shirt, then my bra.

Dimitri's gaze flickered down to my exposed chest, his eyes hardened, lips pursed, and his jaw tightened. "It's not working, Rose. Quit it. We are in a parking lot for Christ's sake."

I frowned as I quickly fixed my shirt. I was done playing nice. "Listen here, General, I am concerned for my safety and yours because truthfully, you don't seem like you can keep your eyes open longer than five minutes. You're exhausted and you've been awake for over twenty-four hours. You are in no condition to drive, at least not until you get some rest. So I am not getting in that vehicle unless I am the one behind the wheel." I crossed my arms, squared my shoulders, trying to look tough and strong, showing him that I wasn't afraid of him. I was prepared to fight.

"I could always throw you over my shoulder."

"And I could always scream."

"Not if I cover your mouth, toss you in the car, and drive off."

"That would be kidnapping."

"Fine, fine…honestly, I'm too tired to fight with you." Dimitri handed me the keys. "Just be careful."

I did a little triumphant dance. "Thank you, honey." I threw my arms around his neck and planted a hard kiss on him before running over and scrambling into the drivers seat.

When Dimitri got in the passenger seat, he was shaking his head and smiling. "I cannot believe you just manipulated me like that. You are a master."

I shrugged as I put the key into the ignition. "It's one of many talents I possess." I turned on the windscreen wipers. Unfortunately, it was raining heavily in Moscow.

My boyfriend adjusted his seat so that it was all the way back, he lay down and put his arms over his eyes.

"Seriously?"

He lifted his arm and peaked at me with one eye, like an alligator. "What?"

"No lovin'?" I asked. "You didn't even give me a kiss. How am I supposed to go hours without one? Give me one now so that hopefully I'll be able to make it through this torturous drive."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then I guess I'd have to steal one from some other hot Russian guy in this parking lot." I squinted out the window, searching the area.

Before I knew what had happened, Dimitri was sitting up and his lips were on mine. It was heady, and deep, and left me breathless.

"Better?" He cupped my face and smiled.

I bobbed my head up and down. "Yeah. I think that will hold me over for a while…"

"Good," Dimitri stretched his arm to the back seat and grabbed the duffel bag. He unzipped it and pulled out some sort of map, unfolded it.

"Thank god it's in English."

"I bought it specifically for you," His dark brows came together as he studied the map. "Although, I don't know why I bothered. I should have bought the other one. It'd be good for you to learn some Russian."

"Why?"

"Because our children will speak it."

My eyes widened and butterflies danced in my stomach. I don't think he realized the enormity and connotation of the words he'd just spoke, because he was still staring down at the map, as if nothing had happened.

Dimitri must have sensed the change in the air because he glanced up at me, his brows knitted in concern. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, I'll believe that when you do." He tiredly rubbed his face before pointing to a spot on the map. It was a little gas station symbol. "This is where you're going to stop and wake me up so I can take over with the driving. Understand? Absolutely no exceptions."

I saluted him. "Aye aye, Captain."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed into slits. "I am being serious, Rose."

"Yes! I know! I am too."

He dragged his finger tip along a long line on the map. "You're going to take this highway. It goes all the way through to that gas station, and it's rather simple to navigate through—no turns, just keep going straight."

"Got it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure."

"Positive?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I am absolutely, a hundred and ten percent positive. Happy now?" I backed the car out of the parking space and waited for a man to get into a Taxi so that I could drive by.

"Very."

"Go to sleep, you grump."

Dimitri lay on his side, facing me. "I love you, Roza."

I couldn't help but smile. "I love you too, Dimitri."

He reached out and grabbed the hand that was resting on my thigh. He placed a kiss to my knuckles and put my hand between both of his large warm ones, cradling it.

"You know," I said. "You never told me why that thing was so funny."

"What thing?" Dimitri was fighting to stay awake.

"Why it was funny for me to think that your family wouldn't approve of me."

"Because they are going to love you," he whispered. "That is why." His eyes closed and his breathing went steady. He was asleep.

* * *

Hours later, I whipped up to the gas station and turned off the Honda. I nudged Dimitri a few times. He didn't wake up.

"Comrade," I pushed a little harder. "Comrade…" I poked his chest. "DIMITRI!"

He shot up like a rocket and hit his head on the roof of the car. "What is it?" He rubbed his forehead.

"We're here."

"And you screamed….because?" Dimitri rubbed his eyes.

"Because you didn't wake up when I gave you a blowjob, so I resorted to screaming."

His eyes widened. "What? You…I…when I was asleep?"

I laughed and hopped out of the car. "You're too easy to fool."

By the time I reached the other side, Dimitri was already out, pulling on his duster. I hugged him. "You're cute when you first wake up."

"Thank you. Now come on." He pulled me inside the store.

"Can I get some snacks?"

"I'll get them for you," Dimitri said. "I want you to pay for the gas."

"But I don't speak Russian…" I glanced back at the middle-aged teller; he was shooting daggers at me.

"If you want food then you'll do it. Or at least give it your best shot."

"Are you doing this so I can make a fool out of myself?"

"No. I'm doing this for amusement." He smiled at the look I gave him and put bills in my hand. "I want you to say this to him…" Dimitri said something in Russian.

"What?"

He had to repeat himself several more times before I could hear him clearly. "Repeat it to me."

I said it.

He barked out a harsh laugh. "Your pronunciation is terrible, but the man will understand you. Go now. I'll be watching you."

I walked up to the register and looked back at Dimitri. "Get me some Snow Caps! And a bag of Doritos!"

My boyfriend nodded.

I looked back at the man and repeated the few Russian words.

He nodded, took my money, and handed me a receipt. He said something in his native tongue.

I just nodded and ran over to Dimitri. "I did it!"

"Yes, you did." His arms were full of drinks, sandwiches, chips, and candy.

"What did you tell me to say?"

Dimitri shrugged. "Just that you wanted to pay for pump number seven. That's all."

"Cool." I'd spoken Russian in Russia today. I was proud of myself.

An hour later, I laughed at how big Dimitri's smile was. Damn…he was happy.

"Wow," I looked around. There was nothing but trees and rocks for miles. Normal, black roads had disappeared about forty-five minutes ago. The Honda bumped and jerked as we navigated through dirt roads. "Baia is in the middle of bum fucked Egypt, ain't it?"

"There is our home." He pointed at a house. There was nothing special about it. Brown paint, small yard, one car in the driveway. I'd seen a million houses like that. I did think the garden in front was pretty, though. That was nice.

A little boy popped his head out the window, screamed, and disappeared.

"There's my nephew Paul." Dimitri laughed.

A moment later, the family scrambled out of the house squealing, screaming, and jumping up and down. I guess they were happy to see Dimitri too.

"You ready?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "I guess I have to be."

* * *

**CPOV:**

Oscar hopped on my chest, purred, and rubbed his orange furry head against my chin. Lissa smiled brilliantly.

"He likes you." She petted his back; he arched his body high….almost unnaturally. It was kind of cool. The kitten looked like an upside down U.

"Hey, babe. Just imagine the fun we could have if you could get in that position." I laughed. The mental image was pretty damn hot.

She covered the kitten's ears. "Ohmigod! Watch your mouth! Oscar is in the room."

"Ooops. Sorry." I rolled my eyes inwardly.

Wide, innocent shamrock-green eyes stared at Lissa. "I'm going to feed him. He looks hungry." she said.

I admired the kitten. Oscar had game, and he knew how to work Lissa like a puppet. He had her wrapped around his little finger or claw…or whatever. But I had to admit, the two of them loved each other deeply…and that was kind of cute.

As Lissa climbed off the bed, Oscar hopped down and followed her all around the room and bathroom. But my attention wasn't on the little furball, it was on my girlfriend. And the way her narrow hips swung as she walked, and how a strip of creamy skin was revealed when she reached for the cat food off the shelf, and how graceful and elegant she looked as she bended over and filled up Oscar's bowl, her sunshine hair falling over her shoulders.

I swallowed hard as the blood pumped full speed in my veins. God help me, I wanted to make love to her again.

"Are you okay?" Lissa was staring at me, those jade-green eyes piercing mine.

"Fine."

She stared at me a moment longer, shrugged, and grabbed the bottle of peach Snapple off the nightstand. Her favorite drink.

"Come here, babe," I opened my arms. "I want to hold you."

Lissa smiled as she got back into bed with me, I nuzzled her body like I would a teddy bear, inhaling her familiar scent of raspberries. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

"I'm wearing Tweety Bird pajamas, how do you find that beautiful?" she asked, tracing circles into my forearm with her nails.

"Because you're in them. Simple as that. And I also think that Tweety Bird pajamas are very sexy." I was rewarded with one of her signature giggles. The sound was all bells and whistles, melodious, bringing the angels closer from heaven.

"I feel happy, Christian." Lissa murmured. "Since I've been spending time with you, for the first time in over a month, I don't know…I feel normal again. Like myself. I'm healing."

Only god knew how wonderful it was to hear those words leave her lips.

* * *

**RPOV:**

One after another Dimitri's family took turns hugging him, well it was more like tackling, I even heard a few _I can't breathe's_ come from my boyfriend. It was amusing really. My insides were all sappy and stuff…so what if seeing Dimitri happy brought me immeasurable amounts of joy. I wasn't going to loose any cool points because of that, right?

"You must be Roza! Dimka has told us so much about you!" A female, who looked to be around my age, maybe a little younger, ran up to me. She was beautiful with her long hair and almond shaped brown eyes—Dimitri's brown eyes. "My name is Viktoria. I'm Dimitri's little sister, the best one actually, but don't tell the other cows that. Do you mind if I give you a hug? I really want to give you a hug!"

I laughed. The girl was a ball of energy. I opened my arms and was practically tackled by her. "It's so nice to meet you." I said once she pulled back.

Viktoria shot her brother a look, who was lifting Paul over his head, he set him on his broad shoulders. "I thought you said this one liked to talk," She cast me a playful smile. "She doesn't say much."

"Roza is just being a little shy. But don't worry, once she gets comfortable, you won't be able to shut her up." Dimitri walked over and draped an arm around my waist, pulled me tighter. His smile was one of pride, like he wanted to show me off to his family.

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" I socked his arm, temporarily forgetting that we were around his family. I felt all of their beautiful brown eyes on me. I lowered my head in shame. "Sorry."

"I like her. She's got some spice in her." A radiant pregnant woman came up and gave me an awkward hug, thanks to the basketball separating us. "My name is Sonya." she offered a kind smile. "I am so glad to have the two of you here…finally." Sonya shot Dimitri a look.

He glanced down. "Sorry."

"And this cow over here is Karolina," The pregnant woman jabbed a thumb over her shoulder.

I smiled at the woman who could have been Sonya's identical twin, minus the belly. "Hey, it's very nice to meet you." Karolina gave me a brief handshake. Her demeanor and personality reminded me of Dimitri's: Silent and strong.

"You too." I smiled. God, why was I being so quiet?

I felt something hit the top of my head. I looked up. Paul was on Dimitri's shoulders, leaning to the left, poking my head with one finger. "Hi," Paul said shyly. The boy reminded me of Dimitri with his shoulder-length hair and eyes. I assumed it was some kind of worship thing he had for his uncle. Honestly, who wasn't mesmerized by my Russian god?"

"It's nice to meet you Paul," I stuck my hand out. "My name is Rose. Your uncle Dimitri has told me so much about you."

His eyes widened in wonder as he shook my hand, almost as if he didn't believe me. "What did he say?" His accent was incredibly thick, just like the rest of the family.

"I know that you love helicopters and apple pie."

Paul's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "I do! Oh Roza, I like you. I like you a lot. You're really pretty too."

I blushed and smiled. "Thanks Paul."

Dimitri was staring at the two of us. I met his eyes and was taken aback at how emotion-filled they were. I wondered what was going on in that mind of his, what he was thinking in that moment.

"Dimkaaaaaaaa!" A woman ran out of the house with oven mittens on and a wooden spoon in her left hand. She had to be in her late forties of early fifties, with long salt and pepper hair, and kind brown eyes that crinkled at the edges when she smiled. Olena. His mother. She was beautiful.

"Mama!" Olena ran into her son's open arms and hugged him hard. When she pulled back a few moments later, tears of happiness were streaming out of her eyes. She covered his face with affectionate kisses.

Olena and Dimitri had a rapid conversation in Russian, laughing and smiling the entire time.

I smiled. This was how a family was supposed to be. God, that made me yearn for my own mother. No matter how cold and heartless she could be at times, I really wished that I could give her a big hug and stuff my face into that soft fire-red hair right now.

"You must be Roza," Olena turned her warm eyes to me. "I have waited so long to meet you and finally, here you are." She gave me a hug. "Dimka has told me so much about you. Actually, that's all he talks about these days…" Olena patted his arm.

"I'm sorry." Was my genius response.

"Don't be! Oh gosh, don't ever say those words! My son is in love. You have made him so happy, Roza. Thank you." Olena trapped me into another fierce hug. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Thank you, Olena. Oh, gosh. I'm balling like a baby." Laughter erupted around me. The tears wouldn't stop rolling. "Don't worry. Don't worry. They're happy tears everyone! I'm okay. More than okay."

"She is something, isn't she Mama?" Dimitri pulled me into his side and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"You have a beautiful woman, son." Olena stared at me, that warm and kind aura shooting off her like fireworks. I liked this woman so much already. "Roza is a strong woman, I can see it in her eyes. And she wears her heart on her sleeve for you, Dimka. You'd better treat her right."

"Yeah, or else we'll all take turns kicking your heiny." Viktoria chimed in. "Right, Paul? You'll beat him silly with your toys, won't ya?"

Paul was about to reply but the look his mother and grandmother shot him silenced him immediately. I kept the giggle to myself.

Dimitri rolled his eyes at his sisters' comment and said something to his mother in Russian. Olena didn't reply, she simply shook her head and gave me a knowing smile.

"I wonder if they've had sex yet," Karolina murmured, head cocked to the side like a puppy. The expression on her face made me think that she hadn't realized she'd voiced her thoughts.

The heat and blush that rose to my cheeks was maddening. I stuffed my face in Dimitri's arm as the whole family screamed, "Karolina!"

Her head snapped up and she shook it like a dog drying off after going for a swim in a lake. "What? I…oh. _Oh._ Sorry guys."

"What's sex?" Paul asked. Everyone turned to look at him, but didn't say anything.

"It's a type of cake." I said. Sonya and Viktoria snickered.

Dimitri lifted his nephew off his shoulders. "I'll tell you when you're older, okay?"

"Deal."

"Where is Babushka?" Dimitri asked.

"Inside," Olena said. "Now come on. Come on. I've made dinner for everyone."

"Black bread?"

She grinned widely. "Three loaves in the oven. Right now."

"Oh, mama. You are the best." Dimitri picked her up, kissed her cheek, and gave her a squeeze before placing the petite woman back on her feet.

"Sometimes I believe the only reason you come and visit the family is for the food."

"That's part of the reason," My boyfriend said playfully. "A big part, actually."

She smacked his arm and ushered us inside.

"Uncle Dimka. Uncle Dimka. Uncle Dimka. UNCLE DIMKA!" God, Paul's Russian accent was so cute. I just wanted to squeeze him.

While Paul and Dimitri conversed about driving fast cars and shooting people and blowing stuff up…or whatever boys talked about, Victoria and Sonya walked over to me and sandwiched me between their bodies, draping their arms over my shoulder. It was strangely…comforting, almost like they were the sisters I'd never had.

"I hope you like Russian food," Sonya said. "Because Mama makes a lot of it."

I shook my head. "Don't know. Never had Borscht before."

The two of them looked at one another, and busted up laughing. They clutched their stomachs, rested their hands on their knees, with tears streaming down their faces.

"Oh, Roza. I like you." Viktoria patted my back. I beamed.

"Russian food is not just Borscht. There are plenty of dishes. And mama cooks the best food. I have a feeling you're going to love it." Sonya said.

"Well…" I rubbed my belly. "I'm starving and I _love _to eat. That's a pretty dangerous combination, kind of like comet and bleach. Watch out, I'd eat anything right about now." My stomach roared like a beast from the wonderful smells that were drifting from the kitchen.

"Was that you?" Viktoria laughed.

I nodded, embarrassed. "Yeah."

"Oh, there's Babushka. See Roza, look. Her name is Yeva" Sonya pointed to a short old lady. She had this creepy vibe to her and she kind of looked like a witch with her black eyes and skinny body. No matter how tiny she was, Dimitri's grandmother had a confident air to her, an intimidating one, one that said _'Fuck with me, and I will make your life a living hell.'_

I gulped, secretly afraid.

"Babushka!" Dimitri grinned. Yeva embraced her grandson with hugs and kisses and affectionate words in Russian. Too bad I didn't understand the language because I really, really wanted to know what they were saying.

A few moments later, Dimitri pulled me to him and introduced me to his grandmother. "This is Roza, Babushka. The love of my life."

Yeva gave me one dirty look, turned around, and walked away. "I don't like her." She said it loud and clear, making sure that I heard her.

Everyone looked stunned. I froze.

"Babushka!" Dimitri barked out a string of words in his native tongue. I had no idea what he was saying, but by the tone of his voice and hard expression, I knew it wasn't anything nice.

"I am so sorry about that, Roza," Olena came up and hugged my stiff body. "My mother can be a very stubborn and private person. She doesn't get close to very many people. I hope you can forgive her, I know that she says a lot of hurtful things but she doesn't always mean them."

Oh, Yeva meant what she had said. She despised me. I could see it in her eyes. The question was _why?_ What did I do?

"Yeah, that old lady is going senile. Just ignore her. I do." Viktoria said. This earned a smack in the back of the head from Olena. "Don't talk about your family like that!" she hissed.

"It's okay, guys. Really. It's fine." I said. "I just hope she doesn't hate me."

"Babushka doesn't hate anyone." Karolina said from the couch.

"She hated father."

The whole room got the same faraway look in their eyes, sadness on their faces.

I cringed and looked away. "I-I-I…I'm sorry." There was something wet on my face. Was I seriously crying? Oh no, no, no, no…this can't be happening. "I didn't want to kill him."

"She is the one who killed him?" Karolina growled, standing up, glaring at me. "You brought the woman who killed your father to our house, Dimitri? What the fuck is your problem!"

"Take Paul out of the room, Vikki." Olena's kind nature turned to ice as she stared at me, backing away, as if I was some wild animal about to attack her. Even Sonya looked like she wanted to strangle me. Everyone looked angry…angry at me.

This made me cry harder. "I'm so sorry! I-I-I had to. I had no choice."

"You had no choice?" Olena asked. "Why did you kill him? You are a murderer! A monster! You should be in jail." By this time, the whole family was on the other side of the room, as far away from me as possible.

"I'm going to call the cops," Sonya said.

Dimitri got in front of me protectively, using his body as a shield so that I was unable to see his family. I hooked my arms around his waist and cried my heart out.

I heard the tap of Sonya's feet as she ran to get the phone.

"WAIT!" Dimitri growled, his voice booming off the walls, ringing out with authority. The room went deadly quiet. The only sounds were of my vicious sobs, and I couldn't control that. "You do not know the entire story. I have not told you everything about Alexander's death."

I froze.

"What do you mean, son?" That was Olena's voice. Her tone was sharp like a knife.

"I have spared you all of the details of father's death because I wanted to protect you all. I didn't want you to think of him as a monster when he was laid to rest, but that's what he was. A monster. And nobody could change that. Not even him."

"You are confusing me, Dimka." Karolina's voice was frightened.

"You all know that Alexander was killed," I peeked around Dimitri. The family was nodding, some with tears in their eyes. "Well, I never told you who killed him. You all know now." Eyes were on me now. "But you don't know why she did. I think it's time that I tell you."

Dimitri switched from English to Russian, probably to protect me. I didn't want to hear the gruesome details of that horrific day. I had no interest in reliving it.

The whole family sat down and listened to Dimitri talk, gasping and crying and screaming at times. It was about twenty minutes later when my boyfriend stopped talking. With a grave and sorrow expression, he pulled me in front of him, to face the family. I prepared myself for the worst. I expected them to shout at me, throw things at me, and even hit me. I would stay right where I was standing and take everything they could give me. Because I deserved it.

In perfect sync, they stood from the couch and came over to me. "We are sorry for what you have been through and the pain we have just caused you. You are our hero. Please find it in your heart to forgive us for our mistakes. You are apart of the family now. We love you, Roza." Olena said with bloodshot eyes. Suddenly, they all stepped forward and hugged me at once, even Yeva. We held each other, cried together, and mourned for Dimitri's father. It was the oddest and most peaceful moment in my life.

* * *

Two days later, I found Yeva swinging outside on the veranda.

"Hi, Yeva." I said shyly, sitting down beside her. "I hope you don't mind me being here. It's just so beautiful out, isn't it?" I stared up at the black sky filled with stars.

Yeva didn't say anything; she gave me a look, and then went back to knitting.

"That's a really beautiful shirt," I said. "The orange is a nice vibrant color. Dimitri showed me the red scarf you made him for the winter, it's really nice—"

"I do not like to have silly conversations, Roza. If you are going to talk with me, make sure your words are meaningful. Or else you are wasting my time." Yeva cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine. I'll say what I really want to." I took two deep breaths. "I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much—"

"You believe that you are unworthy of my grandson."

"I never said that,"

"No. But I can see it in your eyes. I've had dreams about you. Many dreams." There was something in Yeva's eyes that I had never seen before…respect and wonder. "You are a warrior, Roza. A superwoman. But you are also incredibly stupid."

I was positively dumbstruck. "What? Did you seriously just call me stupid?"

"Did I stutter?"

"I believe I am worthy of Dimitri."

Yeva's thin lips twisted into that annoying know-it-all smile. "Do you, Roza? Who are you trying to convince, me or your own mind?"

She met my glare with one of her own. The air around us crackled with tension, but the two of us refused to let up, to look away.

Slowly, a grin spread across my face. "You know, even though you are a major bitch, I kind of like you Granny."

"Likewise, _little girl_."

"I suppose I'll see you at dinner."

"I suppose you will."

I stood up and walked towards the back door. Maybe Yeva and I weren't best friends at the moment, but I believe we had a mutual understanding, a truce, a peace treaty, and maybe, just maybe, she'd ease up and not be so mean to me. Maybe. Truth was though, I kind of liked the crazy old lady how she was—feisty, hardheaded, stubborn, and strong. She reminded me of myself.

Yeva called out my name; I turned around to face her. "Yeah?"

"I don't hate you. I never could, but that doesn't mean I like you either." She grinned wickedly.

"That's enough for me, Granny. We'll learn to get along." I said. "That or we'll end up strangling each other. I'm okay with the latter."

Yeva shrugged. "Whatever happens; happens. But I want you to know that I respect you, Roza. You have made my grandson a happy man. I have never seen him smile so much in his entire life. You are a miracle. Thank you, Roza. Thank you for giving me everything I could want in life. I am proud to have you as part of my family."

Her words constricted my chest. I felt so loved in that moment, more loved than I ever had. And for once in my life, I wasn't an outsider, I actually belonged somewhere. I had a true family. I smiled at her. "You are welcome, Babushka."

I went inside the house to help Dimitri and Olena cook dinner.

* * *

"I want to thank you all for welcoming me into your family."

"It has been a joy to have you here, Roza. It really has." Olena hugged me tightly.

"We're going to miss you, sister." Karolina pulled me into a death grip.

"Yeah, and we hope that you come back soon." Sonya squeezed me.

"Hope? Hell no. You _better_ come back soon or I'll come to America and hunt you down!" Victoria laughed, kissed my cheek, and gave me a long hug. "Love you, big sis."

"Love you, too. Oh, god. I'm crying." I sobbed and rubbed my eyes. "I hate goodbyes. Where's Yeva?"

"Taking a nap in her room. I swear all that old hag does is sleep nowadays."

"Do you mind if I wake her up, Olena?" I asked. "I have to say goodbye to her. I've…I've kind of become attached."

"Go ahead, Roza."

I pecked Dimitri's lips. "I'll give you a moment alone to say goodbye to your family."

"Okay, Roza. I love you."

"Love you too." I took the stairs two at a time and flung open the door to Yeva's bedroom. "Hey, Granny! Just wanted to come and say goodbye. Dimitri and I are about to leave—" I stopped dead in my tracks as I noticed broken glass. "Babushka? Are you alright?"

Yeva was lying on the ground, brown eyes wide and…blank.

A hand flew to my mouth. "Oh, god."

I ran over, dropped to my knees, and pressed my fingers to her throat, checking her pulse.

There wasn't one.

I screamed.


	21. Chapter 21: Hanging by a moment

**A/N: **Hey guys! All of you are great! Thank you for all the reviews! :-)

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

**RPOV: **

"Roza? Rose? I heard you scream from down stairs. What is wron—" Dimitri stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes flickered down to Yeva's body, cold and pale and still on the floor.

"Babushka?" He ran and dropped to his knees beside her, grasping her bony hand in his. "Babushka?" He shook her hand, urging her to wake up. "Babuska!" More shaking. "Babushka! Come on. Don't do this to me!" Dimitri leaned forward, checked her pulse, and his breath caught in his throat.

A sob escaped my lips. "She's dead Dimitri. Gone."

"Shut up!" he snapped.

I whimpered and recoiled away from him. "I'm so sorry—"

"Mama! Mama! Get in here. Now."

Moments later, Olena and Karolina were in the doorway. Olena stepped forward first, blood leaving her face in an instant. She looked extremely lightheaded as if she were going to faint at any given moment.

Karolina went utterly silent and deadly still.

I wasn't sure which reaction I hated more.

"Mother?" Olena rushed forward as a sob so loud rang through the house. I flinched.

"Fix her, Mama. You're a nurse. Make her better."

The hysteria in Dimitri's voice made me cry harder, it was on the borderline of insanity. God, Yeva's death was going to shred his insides and destroy him. I had to be the one there picking up the pieces and putting him back together, because I loved him, and there was no way in hell I was going to abandon him now.

Robotically, Olena leaned over Yeva's body, checking to make sure she wasin fact dead, but still hoping that there was some way to revive her mother.

Abruptly, Olena's hand dropped to her side and those eyes went glassy, emotionless, empty. "She's…dead."

"How'd she die?" Karolina croaked from the doorway, silent tears streaming down her face.

"Myocardial infarction," Olena's face dropped into her hands, she sobbed loudly. "Heart attack. She had a heart attack."

The look on Dimitri's face cut a gaping hole into my chest, the searing pain was astounding.

"She can't be dead," A single tear slid out of his eye. Angrily, he wiped it away. "This is not possible. How could she die? There were no warning signs. She's. Not. Dead." Dimitri grabbed Yeva's shoulders and shook them violently. "Wake up, Yeva! Goddamn. _WAKE UP!_" he roared.

Gathering up all the strength I could, I crawled over and ripped his hands away from his grandmother. "She's gone, Dimitri. Passed. In heaven. There's no bringing her back."

From the doorway, I heard strange sounds, murmurs. I glanced up and saw that the whole family, excluding Paul, had come into the room. With tears in their eyes, they spoke softly and rapidly in Russian. It was a prayer, I realized. A prayer for Yeva's passing.

The three daughters surrounded their screaming and crying mother, hugging and kissing Olena, crying with her, comforting her. God only knew how much she needed it right now. The pain this family had endured in recent months must be agonizing.

Dimitri began to thrash in my arms; I straddled him to keep him in place. "She can't be gone, Roza? Can she? Oh, god." I met his tear-filled eyes. "My grandmother is gone. Forever." He dropped his face into my neck as he wrapped his arms around my body, squeezing tightly.

No words could comfort him right now, so I calmed him with my body, holding him in my arms as sobs and cries filled the room. Most were feminine, belonging to his three sisters and mother, and the other well, it was…as rough as gravel. It was the sound of a man who didn't break down and get emotional often, it was the sound of a man who had lost someone he'd loved dearly, it was the sound of a broken man. Dimitri.

"I want to tell her that I love her, okay? Is that okay?" He asked me with raw vulnerability.

I blinked away the burning tears. "Yeah, it's fine, baby. Go ahead." I started to get off of him, wanting him and his family to have privacy with their lost one; after all…this was no place of mine. But Dimitri squeezed me tighter, pulling me back down into his lap; his voice cracked multiple times as he spoke. "No, Roza. Please don't leave me. I need you right now. I need you so badly I don't think I can live without you."

My fingers ran through his hair, trying to soothe him. "Okay, I'll stay. Promise."

After a moment, Dimitri relaxed a little. Those dark brown eyes went down to Yeva on the ground, with a slow and trembling hand; he leaned over and gently closed her eyelids. She looked peaceful now, like she was in a deep sleep.

"I love you, Babushka. Forever and always, my love." Dimitri then switched over to Russian and said a few things to her.

After he was done, he somehow managed to pick me up and carry me over to join his family. We sat at the small circle and mourned together, holding onto one another.

Dimitri held me the tightest and never let go.

* * *

**Five months later…**

**APOV:**

From the corner of the cafeteria room, I watched Dimitri and Rose interact as I ate my food, thinking that they looked so happy together. Too happy.

Lucky bastard. He got it all, while I got nothing.

Mia, that blonde bimbo receptionist at the warden's office, who I'd screwed only two times—completely intoxicated, had ratted me out to Sydney after I'd made it clear that I didn't want a relationship with her.

If I had known that Sydney and Mia were close friends, I would have stayed far away from Mia. But just like everything else in my life, it came back with vengeance and bit me in the ass.

Now that my fiancé had dumped me and claimed that she never wanted to talk to me again, all I had was my lonely self, my friends…and a bottle of Grey Goose.

After giving Dimitri a lingering kiss, far too intimate for the public and my liking, Rose sauntered over and plopped down at our usual table.

"Hey guys," She stole a brownie off Christian's plate.

"Hey! I was thinking about eating that," he protested. "Look how lean I am. Lord knows I need the fat and calories _way_ more than you do."

Rose narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "! Tell him to stop. It's my birthday and no one is allowed to be mean to me."

Lissa simply arched her blonde brows and looked at her boyfriend. The words in those jade-green eyes said it all: _Don't mess with her, or I am going to hurt you._

His mouth flattened into a tight line, and then in a strained and reluctant voice, he spoke, "Happy birthday, Rose."

Rose beamed, her eyes a wonderful sparkling brown. "Thank you." Yeah, all those happy sparkles had come from making Christian do something he didn't want to do. She took obvious satisfaction in it.

"You're evil," I smirked. "I love it." Truth was, it kind of gave me a…_yeah_, never mind. That was inappropriate. Especially since the girl had a boyfriend. One that was good looking and tall and dark with that strong accent that drove her wild.

I wondered if I could pull off a Russian accent, would she want me then?

Probably not.

"Now, open this." I pulled out the rectangular box wrapped in shiny gold paper. I nudged it over to her.

Rose grinned as she tore into it. "Adrian! It's beautiful!" Gently, she ran her fingertips over the silver rose pendant with rubies in it. "Except for—ah. Never mind."

"What is it? Don't get all tongue tied now."

"It's just that, well, I, uh…" She fingered the nickel sized emerald at her neck. "It might get tangled with the one Dimitri gave me."

Rejection and hurt made my chest sink. God, what was wrong with me? Why did I always screw shit up? No wonder Sydney had left me. I didn't blame the girl. Sometimes I wished I could runaway from myself.

The emotions I was feeling on the inside must have bled into my face because Rose quickly took the necklace out of the box. "You know what? Never mind. I don't care if they get tangled, I'm wearing this. Both of them."

"Really?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Why?"

"Because I love it." Rose carefully dropped the chain into my hand. "Help me put it on, will ya? And don't give me that evil smirk."

"What ever are you talking about, Little Cadet?" I feigned innocence, making her laugh. "Now turn around so I can get this on you."

"Okay," Her body turned and faced the opposite direction, graceful backside to me. "Just don't strangle me, Ivashkov."

"Tempting." Slowly, I brushed her hair out of the way and onto her left shoulder. My fingers dragged over her skin and down her collar bone as I looped the silver chain around her neck. As I fastened it and allowed my hands to linger against her a moment too long, I loved the feeling of _his_ eyes on me.

The glare was angry and possessive and pure malice. Smiling, my head tilted up and I was met with the Russian's black eyes from all the way across the room. He was standing against the wall like a statue, his stance the perfect picture of professional, and in his black shirt, army pants, and combat boots, he looked like a total badass, a real _don't-fuck-with-me_ badass.

I had to admit I was a little envious.

"Thanks, Adrian." Rose said sitting normal again, diving into that brownie as if she had been starved for months. I could watch her eat for hours. It was rather fascinating to me. She always did this cute thing with her lips and mouth—

_Stop it, she's not yours and she never will be,_ I thought. I frowned and reached into my leather coat, pulling out the silver flask. I needed a drink right now. Badly.

I brought it to my lips and tipped my head back—

"Lord Ivashkov!"

I sprayed the vodka all over Rose. "Shit, General. You fucking scared me!"

"Ew! His saliva is all over my face, and now I reek of vodka. ." Rose stood up, frantically rubbing her burning eyes.

Dimitri grabbed the flask.

"Hey! Keep your fucking hands to yourself."

"Alcohol on school premises is prohibited, Lord Ivashkov. You know that."

"Yeah, but that's my fucking flask."

"I'd watch that mouth if I were you," The Russian said. "It's going to get you in a lot of trouble."

The only thing I could do was stare in misery as he put his arm around Rose and directed her towards the bathroom to help clean her up, taking my flask with him.

"Don't you guys just hate his guts?" I growled, glancing back at Christian and Lissa, who were in a heavy make-out session. "Ah, never mind. I can tell I won't get a decent conversation out of you lovebirds. Later."

Feeling rejected and empty and alone, I cut class and made my way back to my room on the college campus. I found my stash of Grey Goose and drank myself into a stupor, where reality ceased to exist and the awful pain went away.

* * *

**RPOV:**

"Seriously, Comrade? All of this?" I eyed the massive obstacle course out on the field. It looked extremely difficult with all its challenges wrapped in it: The inclining wall, confidence climb, belly robber, jump and land, tough one, and the skyscraper. Basically, it was a whole shit load of wood, ropes, tires, bars, and mud…lots of it. God help me, I was going to be sore tonight.

Graduation was in a month, so Dimitri had turned my usual training sessions into grueling hours of torture. Each session was filled with blood, sweat, and tears. Okay, maybe not the tears, but a lot of bitching on my part, and tons of listening on Dimitri's.

"Yes." My boyfriend stood beside me in his uniform. God, I loved him in it. He looked so damn…edible. At times, I became so distracted by him in those army pants and tight black shirt that it was dangerous. Seriously. Just the other day, I was so caught up in checking him out on my way to the bathroom that I'd actually ran into the wall. He got a good laugh out of it while I got a decent size bruise on my cheek and a damaged ego.

"But baby, it's my birthday. Cut me some slack!"

Dimitri's brown eyes hardened. "Absolutely not."

When I frowned, he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "But I'll make it up to you tonight. When we get home, I'm going to love your body until you scream my name over and over again—"

"Comrade," I choked on my own saliva. "Don't do that! Not here. Not now."

"Do what?" He placed a kiss to my favorite spot, right behind my ear, making me shiver. "I'm not doing anything to you, Roza. I'm only telling of what I plan on doing to you tonight."

When I groaned in frustration and anticipation, he hid his smile by clapping his hands and sliding on that general mask that I hated so much. "Are you ready? I am going to time you, Rose."

"I'm ready for you…" My body heated up from the look he shot me. "Yeah, just give me a sec." I stretched my limbs out, took a sip of water. When I put headphones in my ears, Dimitri yanked them out and shoved my MP3 player into his pocket.

"Hey!"

"You need to hear me at all times. That is not acceptable."

I gave him the finger.

"Get out there, Rose!"

I took a deep breath and ran as fast as I could.

* * *

I collapsed against the pads on the gym's floor. "Did I pass? Oh, dear god. Please tell me I passed."

Dimitri handed over my inhaler and smiled proudly. "Yes, you did. I'm proud of you."

"You know, I would give you a kiss right now if I wasn't covered in mud and sweat. Hell, I can't even move."

"I'm going to pick you up, Roza. Okay? Are you ready? I will be gentle with you, but it will still hurt."

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Yes. Just do it."

I gasped and cursed. "Damnnnnnnnnn!" I howled, stuffing my face into his shoulder, muffling my scream.

"I'm so sorry. We're going home now." He said, walking attentively, careful not to jerk me around. "Your muscles will feel better once I give you an Epsom salt bath and massage your skin."

"Can you make me food, too?" I asked. "I really want some cake because it's my birthday."

He smiled brilliantly. "If you want cake, I will bake you some."

"What if I want two different kinds? Say like…red velvet and carrot?"

Dimitri chuckled. "Anything you want, I will make it for you. Just name it, Roza."

We went back to our apartment and celebrated my birthday, all night long.

* * *

**DPOV:**

The next morning, I opened my eyes to the most peaceful and heartbreakingly beautiful face in the world. Roza was sound asleep; her naked body flush against mine, those slender legs tangled in the sheets.

My body reacted to the sight of her immediately, coming alive as I focused on the heat of her body and the feel of her silky skin.

I really, really wanted to wake her up and take her again. Make love to her, feel all that softness underneath me, bury my face into her long hair. But her body was still recovering from our training session yesterday and she needed more time to heal. Besides, I had a job to do.

Gritting my teeth, I threw the blankets off and headed for a shower. That was what I needed. Hot water to clear my thoughts.

Twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the shower and got dressed quickly. As I walked into the kitchen, food held no appeal to me. I poured myself a cup of coffee and the scent nauseated me. I usually loved the smell of fresh ground coffee beans, but today wasn't just any ordinary day.

God, the dread twisting inside my chest and stomach made me want to hurl forward and vomit.

I checked on Roza to make sure she was still asleep. She didn't need to know anything about this. If she did…things would certainly be disastrous. No matter what, I knew she wouldn't believe me. And I feared the worst: Roza leaving.

I stroked her hair, placed a kiss to her cheek, wrote her a note and told her that I loved her, then grabbed my keys and headed out.

Why did I have a feeling this was going to blow up in my face?

Two hours later, I was where I needed to be. The guards immediately let me in as I passed them. Taking four deep breaths, I took a seat.

Tasha smiled behind the glass. "Hello, Dimka! I'm glad you've finally come to see me. I've been waiting!"


	22. Chapter 22: Better off this Way

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

**RPOV:**

"Dimitri visited Tasha in Tarasov prison." Adrian said, sitting down at the lunch table with me, Lissa, Christian, and Eddie.

Those five words stunned me momentarily. "What?" I choked on the grape soda I was drinking.

"Dimitri. Visited. Tasha. In. Prison."

I was distantly aware of my friends at the table, stunned to silence with identical shocked expressions, even Christian. This wasn't strange to me, considering the fact that he'd attacked his aunt at the scene after finding out that she had part in what Victor and Alexander did to Lissa. My best friend had told me that Christian never wanted anything to do with her again….and no matter how much of a monster Tasha was, that was sad because she was his only family left.

"When?"

"Yesterday morning. While you were sleeping."

"I don't believe you. That's a lie. Dimitri would tell me if he did something like that. Our relationship is built around trust and honesty."

"Then what is this?" Suddenly, he pulled out something and slid it over to me. I gasped. It was a black and white photo of Dimitri and…Tasha. She was behind glass, sitting down across from him, wearing some sort of baggy prison outfit. Guards were stationed behind Tasha while she talked on the phone with my boyfriend.

My blood turned to ice. "Where the hell did you get this? Photoshop or something? Oh, god. Please tell me it's fake."

Adrian shook his head slowly. "It's not. One of my friends works at Tarasov…and, uh, I told him to keep an eye on Tasha. Tell me if anything new happens with her, you know." He paused, looking uncomfortable.

"So help me God, I am going to murder my boyfriend. Please keep going…"

"Well, Dimitri was Tasha's first ever visitor. So my friend called me and told me the news. After giving me the description of the Cradle Robber, I asked him to send me a pic. It took a little persuading, a little green…but I got it. And here we are. Having lunch together. Now ain't it a wonderful day?"

"I hate you sometimes, Adrian. You know that?" Hurt flashed across his face. "You're so brutally honest and although the truth stings, you never lie to me. You would never betray me like Dimitri did…" I blinked, feeling that god awful lump in my throat. "So I want to thank you. You're a good friend."

"Wow…that didn't go as I had expected." Adrian gaped.

"Sort of anti-climatic, huh?" Christian asked. "I thought Rose would tear out of the cafeteria screaming, swinging, foaming at the mouth…things like that. I never expected her to be calm about a situation for once. Frankly, I'm surprised that Dimitri's head isn't on a stick right now for what that bastard did."

"Christian, be quiet. Please." Lissa nudged his arm. "She doesn't need to hear stuff like that right now."

"No. He's right." I said. "Dimitri's head is going to be on a stick. It just has to wait until after class. He's teaching combat to new recruits right now."

"Shit," Eddie shot Adrian a level stare. "You shouldn't have told her, man. That was stupid. Really goddamn stupid."

"I don't lie to my friends. Like Rose said, I am brutally honest."

"You weren't honest with Sydney."

Adrian's head snapped to the side. "What the fuck did you say?"

"You heard what I said," Eddie's voice was strong, his stance all macho and charged with testosterone. "I'm glad that girl dumped you. You deserved it."

"Fuck you—"

"Boys. Everything is okay over here, right?" Alberta's voice was smooth but a warning at the same time. Her expression was almost frighteningly awesome, cool-it-or-else-I'll-make-you-cool-it…that's what it said. The lady was badass.

Eddie and Adrian glared at each other for another moment before biting out a, "Everything's fine, Ma'am."

"Good. That's what I thought." Alberta smiled, patted their backs, and strolled off to her usual spot against the wall.

"Rose?" That tender voice brought me back to reality.

"Yeah?"

"Your food is going to get cold if you don't eat it." Lissa's gentle touch on my bicep made me flinch, but a moment later, I leaned into it, seeking comfort from my best friend.

"I love you, you know that?" I murmured. "You're the only person who has stuck by my side throughout all the trouble and heartache the world threw at us. I just want to thank you."

Her chin quivered a little, but she kept it together by smiling. God, I loved that smile. It was the perfect twist of her lips and it made her kind face glow like an angel. "You're welcome, Rose."

The bell rang, signaling lunch was over.

"You can stay here for longer if you want," Lissa said. "You haven't eaten a thing. I'll talk to the teachers and have them excuse you from your next class—"

"No," I said urgently. "I'm fine. Really. I am. My stomach's not hungry…I don't even feel anything at all. It's like my body's numb."

"Okay." Lissa nodded sadly, gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you after work."

"Maybe." I said. "After I talk to Dimitri…I have a feeling I'm gonna want to be alone."

We said our goodbyes and headed off.

* * *

Hours later, I found Dimitri at the gym, preparing for our evening practice. Thankfully, the room was empty. It needed to be for the screaming match I knew we were about to have.

He looked over at me and my steps faltered as I took in his military uniform. God, he looked so good—

_Focus Rose,_ I scolded my self. _Stay focused._

"Hi beautiful, how was your day?"

"I know what you did yesterday morning."

Dimitri's body jolted and his head snapped up, facial expression one of utter shock. "What?"

"Yesterday morning. While I was asleep. You and Tasha had a little alone time." I crossed my arms. "Care to share the details? I'm just dying to know."

There were a few moments of heavy silence as he stared at me.

"Cat got your tongue, General?" I asked harshly. "You usually always have the right thing to say. Come on, spit it out. I want to hear another Zen lesson. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me this was all a mistake and a misunderstanding. Tell me that I'm yelling at you for no reason right now. Tell me it's not what I think it is. _TELL ME!_"

"I can't."

I was so stunned that I actually stumbled a few steps back. "You _can't_?"

"That's correct." Dimitri's voice was strained, almost like he was desperate to say more but couldn't.

"To hell with that. Why?" I demanded. "Why did you go see her?"

His lips parted, ready to speak, when he made a sound and pressed them together tightly. "I can't tell you."

He was hiding something.

That did it.

I lost all self control.

"What?" I screamed, getting in his face and pointing my finger at him. "What do you mean you can't tell me? That woman tortured me, Dimitri. TORTURED ME. She drove a scalpel into my cheek. She killed three teenage girls. And you're going off and visiting her and you can't tell me why? You're defending her!"

"I'm not defending her!" He growled, his anger spiking.

My throat tightened. "Do you…do you still have feelings for Tasha?"

"What?" Dimitri choked on that one word. "Of course not."

I shook my head. "I don't believe you."

He grabbed my arm. "Look at me."

"No." The first tear slipped out of my eye. I roughly wiped it away, angry with myself for being so weak.

How could he do this to me? He was one of only two people on this earth that I trusted, that I loved. And he took everything we had and crushed it to dust.

I knew it was a possibility that he might still have feelings for her. And that possibility made me nauseous. But I didn't want to believe it. I felt sicker right now than I had that day I'd seen my best friend in a blood bath.

"Look at me."

"No."

He grabbed my face with both his hands forcefully, causing his fingers to bite into my skin. He pulled my head upwards, forcing me to look him in the eye.

"Let me go!" I hissed, struggling to get away. Dimitri only held me tighter.

"I cannot tell you why I did what I did. I'm not allowed to. But I want you to know that it's not what you think it is. Trust me on this one. Everything is not as it seems." He paused, his eyes growing more intense. "You are the woman I love, Rose. You. Only you." He grabbed one of my hands and forced it to his chest, right over his heart. "I am yours. And will forever be yours—whether you want me to be or not. Nothing is ever going to change that."

Dimitri released me.

I gathered saliva in my mouth, spit in his face, and smacked him hard. "How dare you have the nerve to say that to me? After all you have done. You make me sick. I never want to see you again!"

"It's over for us?" Dimitri growled. "Just like that?"

"Yep. Done. Over. Finished. Poof—just like that. Magical right?" Sarcasm dripped from my words.

"I won't let you go that easily. I'm going to fight for you. Fight for us."

Silent tears streamed down my face and I let them. There was no reason to hide how vulnerable and broken I was in that moment.

"Let me hold you," Dimitri whispered. "You are in so much pain right now, and you hurt badly. Let me comfort you."

I took a step back when he came forward. "Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me."

"I'm so sorry—"

"If you're apologetic and regretful like you say you are…tell me. Tell me why you saw Tasha so I can understand. Make me understand. I am giving you this last chance."

"I wish I could tell you. Goddamn I wish I could tell you. It's killing me. But I can't. And I know that one day you will understand and I hope you can forgive me."

"I guess you really don't love me as much as you say you do." A sob escaped my mouth as I turned around and headed for the gym doors.

"Yes, I do. That's where you're wrong."

"Actions speak louder than words, Dimitri." I whispered. "And right now, your actions are defying everything that you tell me. I'm not going to lie, Dimitri, I love you. I love you so much it hurts me. I've not only told you that I loved you…but I showed you. I fought for you. I fought for you until I thought my heart would explode from the pain that you had put it through. After all the times you pushed me away, I still went running back to you." I rubbed my hand over my chest, trying to ease the aching hole. "I wish I could make my feelings go away. I wish I didn't love you. Hell, I'd wish I never met you!"

"Don't say that." he hissed.

"Why not? It's the truth." God…it was getting hard to breathe. "I spent months fighting for you, opening my heart to you, showing you how much I loved you with my actions. And what are you doing now, Dimitri? Nothing. You're doing absolutely nothing. You're not fighting for me like I would fight for you. Shit. Instead you're keeping secrets from me. That's not how a fucking relationship works!"

"I am protecting you, Rose. I am protecting you!" Dimitri swore in Russian. "Why can't you believe me? Please believe me. Don't do this. I need you, Roza."

Tears blurred my vision as I met his brown eyes. "I'm sorry….but, but…we're done. There is nothing between us. And as much as it pains me to say this, I wish you the best in life and I hope that you find someone who makes you just as happy as you made me."

"Goddamn it, Rose. Don't fucking do this!"

"Please…don't follow me. Just stay away. That is all I ask of you." I gave him one last glance before pulling my jacket closer and walking away…for good. "Goodbye, Dimitri."


	23. Epilogue

**A/N:** I want to thank my Beta, Dimitri. and. Roza. 4E, for sticking with me and giving great advice. You have infinite patience and your editing skills are amazing! You rock! :-)

Big thanks to all my readers and reviewers! Your support has been amazing. You guys are the wind under my wings, you gave me the drive and inspiration to keep writing! I can't thank you enough.

This is the first ever human story that I have finished, and although I am very sad to see it and General Belikov go, I believe it's had its run.

Again, thank you all so much!

-Breanna

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

**Two years later…**

**RPOV:  
**

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. I scooped up my text books, purse, and slung on my raincoat before heading to my dorm.

"Hey, Little Cadet," Adrian said from behind me.

"Hey," I unlocked my door and stood in the frame, facing him. Yeah, Adrian lived across from me, he was my neighbor, and he still hadn't graduated from college yet.

I, on the other hand, was well on my way to earning a biology degree. After graduating from St. Augustine's military academy, I decided that I wanted to make something of my life, have a future, be someone.

In just over two years, I'd be graduating from college, have my degree, and be teaching my favorite subject to high school students at the academy. I'd be a biology teacher. The thought excited and frightened the hell out of me at the same time.

"How was class?" he smiled.

"Good," I said. "I didn't punch the teacher in the face this time if that's what you're wondering."

"Nah. 'S okay. I don't blame you. Mr. Clark can be a real dick."

I scoffed. "That's for sure. Well…I gotta go. I'm meeting Lissa and Christian for dinner. It's her twenty-first birthd—holy crap. Who's in your room? Is that…_Sydney?_"

"Hi Rose," She popped her head out the doorway and laid it on Adrian's shoulder. She waved. "It's nice to meet you."

The instant she came out, Adrian lit up like a Christmas tree and I knew I was long forgotten. All of his attention was on that woman behind him, who he was blocking from getting out into the hallway to shake my hand. I guess he wanted her in that room, all to himself.

When the two got into a heavy make out session, I knew it was time for me to go. I grabbed an umbrella and locked my dorm. "See you later guys!"

Sydney moaned and Adrian called out her name.

I walked faster, pushed open the doors, and burst outside.

* * *

**LPOV:**

I stared at the two pink lines and screamed with joy and surprise. "Christian! Get in here! Now!"

The bathroom door flew open and my boyfriend was standing there, breathing heavy with a panicked expression etched on his handsome face. "What's wrong, honey? I heard you scream—"

"I'M PREGNANT!"

"I'm sorry…_what?_" Christian looked green as he swayed from left to right and caught his balance on the counter, depending on it to hold him upright.

"I'm pregnant." I said more gently this time. "We're having a baby. You're going to be a father."

That did it.

He fainted and fell to the ground.

"Christian!"

The door to our apartment whipped open. "What happened? I heard you scream—Ohmigod. What's wrong with Christian?"

"He passed out after I told him I was pregnant." I wet a wash cloth with cool water and patted his cheek, trying to wake him up.

"What did you say?" Rose paled and swayed, looking like she was going to be sick.

"Christian passed out."

"No…the last part."

"I'm pregnant."

_Thump. _

My head snapped up. My best friend was flat against the ground, face first. Great. She'd fainted too.

* * *

**RPOV: **

When I finally came around to consciousness, I sat up and looked over at Lissa. She was smiling widely as she kneeled over Christian on the floor.

"Wait? So you're telling me our baby is inside of you?" He asked, on the verge of hysteria.

I nearly laughed but I didn't want to ruin the moment.

She grabbed his palm and pressed it to her flat stomach. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. You're going to be a wonderful father."

"I'm going to be a father." he echoed, tears welling up in his eyes. Oh, god….Christian nevercried. _Never._ He didn't cry when he found Lissa on that operating table with Victor.

This was intense and I suddenly had the urge to start balling. They looked so happy…

"I hope it's a girl. She's going to be beautiful and look just like you with your wonderful sunshine hair." He ran his hands through her locks, tears streaming down his face. He wasn't ashamed about showing his emotions in that moment. The only things on his mind were Lissa and their baby.

My niece or nephew!

Lissa was sobbing as she leaned forward and gently pressed her mouth to his. "I hope it's a boy and he has your blue eyes and jet-black hair."

"Wait. Since you're pregnant, does that mean we can't have sex anymore?"

The two busted out laughing.

Lissa shook her head, smiling, she kissed him hard.

I took that as my cue to leave. They were going to celebrate her birthday…alone, in bed, basking in their pregnancy bliss.

As I walked home, I left the umbrella down and let the pouring rain soak me from head to toe. The smell was wonderful and I giggled as I purposely stepped into a puddle.

St. Augustine's bus was parked out front. The same one Stan had picked me up on three years ago before I started this journey from hell.

Automatically, my brain thought of Dimitri. I saw him in his army uniform, all bulging muscles and meanness. But under that hard exterior, there was a man who cared about the people he was close to dearly, a man who hurt deeply when someone he loved got hurt, a man who when he loved, he _really_ loved.

There was wetness on my cheeks and I wasn't sure if it was from crying or the rain. Probably the rain. I hoped.

Although I did go to St. Augustine's college, I rarely saw Dimitri because he spent most of his time on the high-school campus. But those rare times I did see him—field trips, assemblies, school parties—our eyes would meet and it was like the whole world faded away.

But when I looked away, that connection disappeared followed by a sharp pain in the chest. For some reason, I just couldn't get over the fact that he'd betrayed me. Lied to me. Destroyed me.

He was part of my past, a reminder, he made me who I am, he broke my heart, and he still owned a piece. A pretty big chunk, actually.

"Rose?"

My body stopped. I recognized that deep, accented voice anymore. It was music to my ears and a knife to my heart.

Without looking up, I made a beeline for the college campus.

"Roza, wait!" His tremendously booming voice rang loud and clear, echoing off the trees and buildings, causing a few birds to fly south for the winter even though it was the middle of April. "I just want to talk with you. Give me one chance. I promise I'm not going to hurt you."

"Too late for that." I snickered, tilting my head up. The breath got stuck in my throat. God…he was still as beautiful as ever and that broke my heart. His shoulder-length brown hair was down and dripping at the edges, soaked from the pouring rain. He was in dark jeans, a black thermal, and his brown duster was over his broad shoulders.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"To talk with you."

"You're two years too late for that, buddy. Go to Tarasov. I know Tasha's just waiting to have a chit chat with you." I went for the door handle.

Dimitri's hand came over mine, stopping me, blocking me.

I hissed and jolted back, getting far away from him.

"What is your problem?" Rubbing the skin where he'd touched, I hoped to get rid of that tingly feeling.

"I want to tell you why I visited Tasha that morning."

"You want to tell me why? After two long years?"

"Exactly."

I laughed harshly as I crossed my arms. "Well, go ahead. Amuse me."

"I testified against her."

"Okay…"

"In trial. I went to court. I'm one of the reasons she's locked up for life. The only reason, actually. The prosecutor couldn't pin any hard evidence on her. And if it wasn't for me, the police strongly believe she would be a free woman right now." Dimitri said.

"That's what you didn't tell me?" he nodded. "Why?"

"The trial went on and on for weeks, months...years. It recently ended and Tasha was sentenced. The reason why I didn't tell you was because…the court specifically told me not to and to keep it a secret. But all I thought about was you, protecting you. Do you honestly believe that I wanted to bring up any of this? Bring back all those horrible memories and nightmares that you had? No. I wanted to go in, do my job, bring that monster to justice and make sure she got everything she deserved, and then come home, back into your arms, and forget everything bad."

I rubbed my eyes that were burning from the rain and…my tears. Every instinct in my body screamed for me to run! To get out of there! Far away from him! But looking at Dimitri now…I just couldn't. It was like my feet were super glued to the ground.

"That still doesn't explain why you went to visit her." I croaked.

Guiltily, his brown eyes flickered down.

"You son of a bitch! God, I hate you. I can't believe you still have feelings for her—"

"I _never_ loved Tasha." he growled. "You can call me every name in the book, Rose. I deserve it. But don't make assumptions about things you don't know shit about."

Crossing my arms, I glared at him. "Then tell me, Dimitri. Tell me why you saw Tasha that day."

He looked unwilling.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I turned around and grabbed the door handle—

"Wait! I'll tell you. Just…just wait."

"Better hurry it up."

"I wanted answers about my father before he died—how he was like, how he lived, where he lived, why he was in America. Things like that. Closure, I guess. I hadn't heard from or seen my father in fifteen years. I am ashamed with myself, but I wanted to know what happened to him before he died. And the only living person who had contact with my father was Tasha. So, I went to Tarasov prison and visited her. Only once. I swear. Once right before the trial. And that was all. My questions were answered and I was done for good. Never wanted to see her again."

I sobbed. "Oh, god. Why didn't you tell me Dimitri? This never would have happened."

"I'd rather have you leave me than you believe I'm weak. That I don't deserve you. I just wanted to be strong. And if you knew the reason why I went to visit Tasha…you wouldn't want me anymore."

He couldn't be more wrong. "You were afraid I was going to reject you." I stated.

His brown eyes met mine. They were so dark and intense and hypnotizing that I couldn't look away—not that I wanted to anyways. "I want your forgiveness, Rose. I know that I don't deserve it, but I can't stand the thought of you hating me forever—"

"Why didn't you ever come after me?" I interrupted as a lightening bolt flashed through the clouds, making the whole sky glow with purple and blue. "Why didn't you ever talk to me?"

Thunder roared in the night.

Dimitri took a step forward. "You asked me to leave you alone, and I did. I tried to talk with you when I had the chance. I really did. But every time, Adrian would stop me, telling me it was best that I stay away from you as I would only hurt you. And I watched you, Rose. I watched you from a distance. And as time passed by, the pain and sorrow in your face disappeared and was replaced with...happiness. And as much as it pains me to say this, I let you go…let you be happy, let you move on with your life. Because that's what you deserved. Because I don't deserve you."

Tears poured out of my eyes like a waterfall. "You idiot! You stupid fucking idiot!" I slapped him hard, then cupped his face and smashed my mouth to his. "Don't ever say that again! Understand? I want you. Only you. It's always been you. I love you…"

"Roza," He pushed me against the drenched brick wall, covering my body with his. "Say that again. Tell me that you love me."

"I love you."

"Again. Say it again." Dimitri growled, staring at my mouth.

"I. Love. You."

"Again. I need to hear it."

"I love you, Dimitri."

"God, I love the way your mouth moves when you tell me that. The way your voice sounds."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and stuffed my face into the crook of his neck, inhaling that wonderful crisp scent of after shave mingled with his natural masculine scent. It had been so long…

"Do you still love me?" I whispered.

Abruptly, he pulled away from me. Hurt and rejection turned my blood cold, that was until…

Dimitri got down on one knee.

"I'm not letting you go like I did the last time. I'm not making that same mistake twice."

I could only stare in disbelief. It was like my voice box had been smashed.

"In two years, after you graduate from college, I am going to get down on one knee like this…and ask you to become my wife." He pulled out a small black velvet box, opened it, revealing a silver band with a brilliant shining diamond.

I dropped to my knees, not caring that my pants were covered in mud, and kissed Dimitri until I couldn't breathe. "And I'm going to say yes."


	24. Epilogue Part 2

**A/N: **Last chapter! Promise! There will be no sequel.

******Chapter rated M for lemons******

* * *

**RPOV: **

After slipping the ring back into his pocket, Dimitri picked me up in his arms and started walking in the opposite direction of the college campus.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you home."

"Dimitri," I moaned desperately. "No. I cannot wait that long."

He paused and looked all around him. "Me neither." With urgent and almost frantic strides, he headed for the woods at a dead run.

"What are you doing now?" I asked as we went past trees, bushes, creeks, and giant rocks. The air in the woods was even thicker and more humid than it was on campus, but it smelled amazing…like rain, fresh dirt, grass, amongst other amazing natural smells. I loved it, especially since it was combined with his aftershave.

"Our apartment was too far away. And so was that college dorm that you're moving out of tonight. I'm impatient…so I took you here."

"Sounds good to me," I smiled, pressing my palm to his cheek, feeling the slight stubble scratching my skin. Dimitri leaned into my hand, savoring my touch.

"I missed you so much, Roza." He kissed my palm.

"I missed you, too. But I'm still angry at you for waiting too damn long to come after me. So you better make it up to me right now."

Leaning down, he pressed his lips softly to mine, and whispered against my mouth, making me shiver from the vibrations, "I plan on making it up to you, Roza. Not just tonight, but for the rest of our lives. I'm going to make love to you because you're all I need."

Butterflies exploded inside my stomach like dynamite, carrying me all the way to the clouds. "I like the sound of that…"

The sky was a dark, charcoal gray and the rain had become stronger when Dimitri gently set me on the ground and kissed me.

"Um…General. I'm all for this romantic shit, but I'm not so crazy about having sex on the ground with all that dirt and bugs…"

"Hold on," He took off his leather duster and fanned it out on the forest floor, creating a large blanket.

"That's better."

I stared into his dark eyes and the emotions in them took my breath away. Yearning, pain, lust, love, and…hunger. My body heated up. Dimitri noticed my change in feelings, and I think he liked it because he growled. The sound was all male power and possessiveness and promises of what was to come.

I couldn't wait.

"You are so beautiful." Abruptly, Dimitri pressed me against a tree, his hands squeezing my bottom hard. I groaned loudly, loving the feel of him and the bark clawing at the skin of my back, stinging with fresh wounds.

"Take off your shirt."

He quickly did as I commanded, throwing the damn thing on the forest ground.

The rain poured down his naked abdomen, glistening his caramel skin.

"My god," I ran my hands up and down him. "You've…you're huge. Bigger than before."

He smiled. "I've been spending extra time in the gym. It helps pass the time."

"Yeah…you sure have." I murmured, mesmerized by all his bulging muscles. "You are a God."

"You are my Goddess." Dimitri said, lifting up my shirt.

One after another, our clothes disappeared until they were scattered all over the forest, hanging on trees, stuck in bushes, or…wherever the hell they went. I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was Dimitri in front of me, naked, completely exposed to be feasted upon by my eyes.

"I love when you look at me like that." He started rocking his hips against mine, not penetrating, just this wonderful grinding motion that made my eyes roll into the back of my head.

"Like what?" I panted, stuffing my face into his shoulder to keep the rain from stinging my eyes. Dimitri did the same thing, cradling our bodies together until there was no space between us whatsoever.

The grinding became more intense and desperate until our hips were slapping against one another. I cried out. "Like what?"

"Like I am the only man you'll ever want."

"You are."

Before I knew what had happened, I was on laying on the duster with Dimitri on top of me. With one fluid motion, he thrust into me, making our bodies' one.

We both screamed so loud that I was sure all the animals in the forest went for cover and every student at St. Augustine's had heard us.

Like I cared…

Dimitri stuffed his face into my hair and inhaled as his body started moving with mine at a savage and wild pace. But I loved it. I loved this raw and powerful and animalistic side to him. To me, he was the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes on as he growled words out in his native tongue, Russian.

I had no idea what he was saying, but I liked it. Especially as he began to chant my name like a prayer. "Roza, Roza, Roza, Roza…"

"Dimitri…oh god."

He flipped us over so that I was on top. I didn't skip a beat—or pump—as I took control.

"I'm sorry…" He hissed, his head kicking back, veins popping out of his neck. "I had to see you like this. I just had to see you."

I leaned forward to kiss him and fanned my waist-length hair around his face, creating a safe tent to keep the rain out of his eyes.

"I love you." I gasped, on the edge of something incredible, that burning in my lower belly screaming at me to go faster.

Moments later, we went over the edge together, calling out each others names. I collapsed against his chest, panting like a dog. I was pleased to feel his heartbeat hammering against my cheek.

"You are the most amazing and bizarre miracle," Dimitri breathed, rolling us onto our sides, kissing me tenderly. "You are the woman I love."

I smiled blissfully. "And you are the man I love."

He scooted onto the dirt and wrapped me up in his duster. "You must keep warm. It is freezing out here."

I moaned in protest. "What about you though? You must be cold. Come back…I have to hold you."

Dimitri pulled me to him, wrapping his arms and legs around my body, nearly crushing me. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I have you now."

His hands searched for something in the pocket of the duster. "Here. Wear this." He opened the small black velvet box and grabbed my left hand.

My hands were trembling as he slipped it on. "But I don't want to get it dirty."

"If it does, I'll clean it until it sparkles so much it blinds you. Just please…keep it on. I need to see it on you. To make sure I'm not dreaming…to make sure this is real."

"Okay," I smiled but cursed when I realized something.

"What?" Dimitri murmured, brown eyes on fire.

"I haven't taken birth control in two years."

_Shit…_


	25. Author's Note

**A/N:**

Hey guys!

Okay, okay…I caved.

There is going to be a sequel for this story.

My mind was set on _not _writing one, but after reading all of your reviews and realizing that most of you wanted one, I've decided to go ahead and do it. You guys are just so persuasive! :-)

Just so you know, the sequel is not going to be as long as 'A Blessing in Disguise' (only 10 – 15 chapters tops), and it's not going to have as much drama, but I couldn't let General Belikov go just yet. I'm already working on the first chapter and it should be up within the next week. I'll post another author's note when I publish it.

Thank you all so much!

-Breanna

* * *

******UPDATE: **The sequel has been posted!********


	26. Chapter 26

Hey, guys! Long time no see. Haven't been here in a while & I've been writing again. Interested in hearing from me again? Possible sequels, new stories, updates, etc.? Review & let me know! I miss you guys!


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